William Silvercrona and the magical kingdom of Thyrridea E-Book

E.S Andersson

• Herausgeber: Books on Demand
• Kategorie: Für Kinder und Jugendliche
• Serie: William Silvercrona
• Sprache: Englisch

Seitenzahl: 417

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2021

Beschreibung

Welcome to the magical world of Thyrridea. The series about William Silvercrona is perfect for young readers who love adventure and fantasy. You will appreciate the enthralling battle between light and darkness and perhaps be inspired to think about friendship and courage. The stories offer magical encounters and clever riddles that will challenge your imagination. You will soon meet William, a 10-year old boy and follow him when he and his parents leave their fairly safe home in Sweden and begin a journey full of magic to the magical kingdom of Thyrridea. A thrilling adventure begins on board the ship "the Princess" that really is a different ship with a magic adventure land and secret vaults etc. For the first time in his life William comes into contact with dark magic. In his struggle against the dark magic, he teams up with for instance Longtail, a talking squirrel. William takes up the struggle against the forces of dark magic and is tasked with a mission to search for the missing Creator stone, a stone that is needed to maintain the balance between light and dark. Everything is at risk and amongst friends there are traitors. All is not as it seems to be.

Leseprobe

Contents

INTRODUCTION

CHAPTER I : THE MOVE FROM SIGTUNA

CHAPTER II : JOURNEY BY TRAIN

CHAPTER III : THE PRINCESS

CHAPTER IV : EXPLORING THE SHIP

CHAPTER V : TO THE ADVENTURE LAND

CHAPTER VI : A CELESTIAL JOURNEY

CHAPTER VII : THE ULVERS

CHAPTER VIII : THE FAIRYTALE FOREST

CHAPTER IX : LONGTAIL

CHAPTER X : THE MISSION

CHAPTER XI : INFORMATION ABOUT THE SHIP CONTROLS

CHAPTER XII : SECOND MISSION AND A VISIT TO THE VAULT

CHAPTER XIII : THE MAGICAL ENCYCLOPEDIA

CHAPTER XIV : TRAVEL IN TIME AND SPACE

CHAPTER XV : THE MAP

CHAPTER XVI : THE GOLDEN COMPASS

CHAPTER XVII : THE HIKE

CHAPTER XVIII : THE THRONE ROOM

CHAPTER XIX : MONITORS

CHAPTER XX : LORD THEODORUS

CHAPTER XXI : THE SEARCH FOR THE WHITE MEADOW

CHAPTER XXII : THE SEARCH CONTINUES

CHAPTER XXIII : THE CREATOR STONE AND THE BEARER OF THE COMPASS

CHAPTER XXIV : RETURN TO FAIRYTALE FOREST

CHAPTER XXV : A HIKE THROUGH THE NIGHT

CHAPTER XXVI : CARGO WAGONS

CHAPTER XXVII : THE FINAL BATTLE

INTRODUCTION

Hi, what fun that this book has found you among all other books and computer games in the world. No matter how you’ve got the book, if you bought it or borrowed it from a library or a friend. No matter how it ended up with you, this book is filled with adventures especially for you. Get comfortable on the couch, bed or in your favorite reading place. You will soon meet William, his mother Anne, his father Henry and many others and you will take part in everything that happens to them starting on an ordinary rainy day in Sweden in a small town called Sigtuna.

CHAPTER I THE MOVE FROM SIGTUNA

The rain poured down and William shivered in the cold wind. William really hated wind and rain and it didn't get any better when the two were combined. William was on his way to the school bus that was going to take him home from Skepptuna school. It was only a short walk of about fifty meters to get to the bus but his hair was already wet. He settled in on a seat. It felt good to come into the warmth of the bus, William thought. The bus stood parked and waited for the smaller children, they always used to take a little longer to get their rain gear and school bags on.

– Alright, everyone is onboard, said the driver and started the bus after he had counted all the children. The white bus ran its usual round and the first stop was in Sigtuna where William lived with both his parents, his mother Anne and his father Henry. William's father was a tall man. If you asked people around him, they would certainly describe him as a handsome man around 38 years old. He had a few extra pounds around his waist which he used to refer to as his comfort pounds. Henry really enjoyed good food, sweets and desserts. Henry worked at a multinational electronics company and since he was often on the move, there were many business lunches. Mother Anne was a tall and slim woman around 35 years old. She had straight blond hair in page and nice facial features. William reminded a little bit of them both. He was light brown like his dad and he had inherited his dad's bright blue eyes and the slimness of his mother. The length was from both of them.

The bus stopped at the bus stop where William's mother waited. – What a weather, William's mother said, a real autumn weather. Quickly, get into the car William. Lucky that I took the car today so we don’t have to get wet, mom said and puffed. Actually, they didn't live very far from the bus stop, but William’s mother, who was often very stressed, felt that it went much faster and smoother with the car. William’s mother had driven straight from her job in Stockholm, where she worked as an MBA at an accounting firm, and as usual, there was a meeting that dragged on, just enough to make William’s mother stressed.

– It gets better when you're a few years older William, then you can have a key and go home by yourself and I’ll come home after a little while, she said in a stressed tone. William had heard that quite a few times before and he was used to his mother being a little stressed. – Yeah, yeah, William replied. He sat in the front passenger seat and his mother started the car and drove the short distance home. William quickly ran up to his phone (which he had left charging in his room this morning) to see if he had received any message from his friend in Umeå. He had, it was a long snapchat where his friend wondered if he could come and visit in 4 weeks.

– Mom, Mom, William shouted, but he didn't get an answer. He tried again, but it was useless. Finally, William walked to the stairs and shouted “mom” with a loud voice down to the ground floor. Now his mom finally heard him. – What is it? William's mother wondered. – I wonder if Vincent can come and visit us in four weeks? William asked. –Mm of course he can, his mother replied. – Yes, then I'll tell him that he can come, William said, I just got a snapchat from him. – Sure, you do so, his mother said a little distractedly, but come down in 10 minutes because then dinner is ready. William wrote a quick answer to his friend and then he went down to his mother in the kitchen. – What’s for dinner? William wondered. – Today it will be something easily prepared, Sausages, macaroni and salad. We'll have to eat something else later tonight when dad gets home. William's father was on a business trip to Amsterdam and Brussels. He had been gone for five days, but would come home later in the evening. – I'm thinking of cooking your favorite dish. If I have time and strength for it his mother said puffing. William knew that it always took a while for her to stress down after she came home from work. Thus William avoided answering. – Your dad and I have something important to tell you tonight, but I want to tell you when we're all together, William's mother explained nervously. Will I get a present? William wondered cheerfully. His mother shook her head slowly. William wondered what his mom and dad were going to tell him. His mother sounded kind of serious in her voice, almost as if something terrible had happened.

– No one's died, right? William asked. – No, mom said, but we'll take it when dad comes home, she said firmly. If there was one thing William had learned in his soon-to-be 11-year life, it was that there was no point in asking further when mom sounded determined. William really hated waiting, especially when he didn't know what he was waiting for. Normally, he would always be able to get his mom to tell him what was going to happen. He knew that his mom was very weak for him and could hardly ever keep a secret from him, unless she had promised someone to be quiet, then it was impossible to get anything out of her. Um, William mused. I'm sure she promised dad they'd tell me together. Then there's no point in trying to push mom, but William couldn't help himself. – Please, mom, tell me what it is? Mom looked uneasy – I have promised dad, she mumbled, no, I can’t William. William understood that it was useless to get his mother to tell him more so he helped her to cook and then they ate. – Can I play computer games now that I'm done eating? William asked. – Yes, for a short while, max 40 minutes, you know that I have told you that you are not allowed to play more than 40 minutes.

– Yes, I know, but all my friends get to play longer, William said. His mother muttered a little and shouted after him as he was on his way up the stairs. – Remember a maximum of 40 minutes! William had an egg clock in his room and he knew mom had one down stairs in the kitchen. He set his clock to 40 minutes so he would know how much time he had left. Just before his bell rang, he heard his mother’s steps in the staircase. Drrrrr it sounded from her egg clock. – I'm just finishing, William shouted. I'm done! William knew there was no point in trying to extend the time because then his mother would just get angry and that wasn’t funny at all. It wasn't often that he had seen his mom angry but it had happened a few times and it was horrible. She didn't scream and shout when she got angry, no she was much worse. Instead, she was close bitten and very sharp in her tone and it didn’t matter if you apologized 100 million times. William thought it was awful. He therefore quickly shut down Fortnite – Do you have any homework? Mom asked. William pondered – No not until tomorrow but I have reading and writing homework until Friday. I can do some today and some tomorrow. – Good, William's mother said, I'll go down and start with the lasagna. Just call if you need help. No, I have a better idea. You can sit at the kitchen table and do your homework and we can chat while we're both working. Actually, William liked to do his homework in front of the TV better because then he could quickly glance at the TV shows while he did his homework and then it was almost funny to do the homework. Usually his mom accepted that he did so, but sometimes William’s mom felt that she hadn’t seen William all day and wanted him to do his homework down in the kitchen with her. Anne was a very social person who did not like to be alone and felt that it was more fun with company. Said and done, William sat down at the kitchen table with his homework while his mother started with the lasagna.

After a while, he heard a car drive up the driveway. He looked out and saw that it was his father's blue estate car. He rushed to open the front door and when he saw his dad he gave him a big hug. – Missed me? dad asked.

– Of course I have, William said. – I've missed you too, his dad replied, ruffling William in the hair. – What’s for dinner? he asked and sniffed his nose in the air. – Lasagna, Anne replied. – Perfect! I’m starving. He brought his large brown suitcase in and unpacked presents for the two of them. Perfume to Anne and a sweater to William. William immediately went into the bathroom and changed. He really liked the sweater. Dad started to set the table while he and Anne chatted about his journey. – William, there's something we need to tell you, he said earnestly. – What is it? William asked. – Well, your mother and I have decided that we should move back to New Zealand. William was totally stunned, he certainly wasn’t expecting that. – You know mom and I grew up there, Henry continued. We've been discussing it back and forth for a few years, but now we suddenly got an offer that we couldn't turn down. Grandma Ruth and Grandpa Fritz have inherited great-grandmother's house and grandma called a while ago and asked if we wanted to live there with them. It is a large house in the capital and grandma and grandpa thinks it’s enough that they live on the ground floor and we get to live on the other floors. – No, William shouted, I don't want to move! Do you hear that, I said no! Then he rushed up to his room and slammed the door shut. William heard his mother’s steps in the staircase and then a knock on his door. – Can I come in? She asked. William had been crying so much that the pillow in his bed was all wet. – My dear little boy, mom said and sat down on the edge of the bed. I do understand. – If you do, William snuffled, you can decide that we're not going to move to New Zealand. New Zealand is very far away. We need to travel almost the whole world to get there. – It's absolutely true, William's mom said. New Zealand is very far away from Sweden. William couldn’t think straight. Move? Then I have to leave my friends and my school. This was huge, much bigger than everything else. – My best friends, how am I to see them? William wondered. – You can stay in touch by snapchat, skype, text messages and email his mom answered. – It's not the same thing at all, William shouted, glaring at his mother. – I understand, my boy, his mom replied and hugged him. William looked at his mother and he could hear in her voice that she was pressed.

– Mom, why can't we stay here? Why do we have to move? William continued. – I understand, mom said. I think that after a while, you'll like New Zealand too. Your friends will still be here and you can visit them on holidays. We'll figure it out, I promise. I do understand that it won't be the same. You can't play with your friends every day or even once a month and the move will affect you more than dad and me. But, we have to move, she said quietly, I'm so sorry. I promise that you'll enjoy the new country and you'll make new friends, mom said and stroked William over his hair.

William was still angry and at the same time he felt completely empty in his head. He knew he could trust his parents. If they had promised that they would arrange for him to visit his friends, they would do it. – I’ll watch TV for a while, William said. – You can do that. I'll bring you supper a little later, Anne replied. William looked at his mother in amazement. – I never get to eat in front of the TV, he said. – Yes, I know, but we’ll make an exception tonight, she said and gave him a hug. William went through most of his favorite channels but there was nothing he felt like watching, so William picked up his stargazer instead. Tonight it was starlit skies so he should be able to look at the stars. He set his sights on Orion with its three stars in a row, while pondering. Weird that I’ll be moving, William mumbled. He had thought that they would live in their house forever and now it wouldn’t be that way. Their house would be sold, William thought, and all my things have to be packed. When Vincent and his family were about to move, their house was put up for sale on the internet, then a lot of people came to look at the house before the bidding started.

William heard his dad come up the stairs. – What are you looking at? His dad asked. – Here, William said and handed over the stargazer. Do you see them? – Yes, I see now, dad replied. It's Orion. You don't have to worry about the move, he said softly. You're going to be all right, you're going to make new friends. – Yes, but what about football? William wondered. – You can play football in the new country as well, but of course it won't be with your current club. I would be very surprised if Sigtuna IF has a branch in the new country, dad said with a weak smile, but you can always come back here and meet your old teammates. – You promise? William asked and looked with his intense blue eyes at his father. His dad looked back and answered, – I promise. Come on, let me show you some pictures I've taken on my business trip. William's father picked up his phone and they sat down in the large gray-black fabric sofa that stood in William's room. William looked at various buildings his father had taken photos of, but William only listened with half an ear to what his dad told him. Instead, he thought about the move. – Dad, what was it like to grow up in New Zealand? – I was very happy, Dad replied. – Then why did you move? William asked. – Yes, that’s a good question, we had just got married and you had just been born. Your mother and I had read a lot about Sweden. It seemed like a quiet and safe country to live in. Grandma and Grandpa moved here first and then we followed after. – Too bad I never really got to know my grandma and grandpa, William said. – I know my son, you were only two years old when they died in a car accident. William's father put his arm around William.

– You know what? dad asked. – No, William replied.

– I’m extremely grateful that I have you and your mother in my life. You're the two most important people to me, dad continued. I'll never forget when my mother introduced me to your mother. That day and the day you were born are two of my happiest days ever. It wasn't the first time William had heard his dad talk about this. – Yes, Yes I know, William said, but now I want to talk more about the move. Which school will I go to? Where exactly are we going to live?

– Here, I brought your porridge, William's mother interrupted. She put down a bowl of rice pudding. – Is it with a lot of cinnamon and sugar? William asked. – Sure, William's mother replied. You're going to go to the same school that dad and I went to once. It is a large brick building located right in the center of the city. If I remember correctly, grandma's house was in the city but I'm not really sure. We’ll simply see when we get there. William was satisfied with the answers and began to eat his porridge. Dad put on the TV, an Italian football match was shown. – If you're going to stay up for a while longer you know what to do, mom said while looking at William. Brush your teeth and put on your pajamas after you’ve finished the porridge. – I know mom, William mumbled.

– I'll be downstairs working but I'll be up in a while, Anne said. William's mother wasn't as interested in football as the two of them where. She preferred cooking and interior design programs on TV. William ate his porridge and got completely mesmerized by the match. When his mother came up, he had completely forgotten to get ready.

– There are my two jocks, mom said with a smile. Come on, William. William got up and headed to the bathroom. Once there he quickly washed, changed to pajamas and brushed his teeth and then went back to the couch and sat down. – Do you want a pillow and a blanket? mom asked. William wasn't used to being allowed to stay up this late on a school day. Most of the time he went to bed at nine pm, but today seemed to be an exception. William settled in on the big sofa. It was cozy with a pillow and blanket.

– When are we moving? William asked sleepily. – After the summer holidays, Anne answered and William fell asleep.

After the match on the TV ended, William's dad carried William to his bed. When William arrived at school the next day, he told his friends right away that he was moving. The atmosphere in the classroom became sad and their teacher had to read a funny story to cheer them all up. On the morning break, William played football as usual with his classmates and some older boys from other classes. William was very competitive and therefore used to score a lot of goals. – It's so sad that you will move, Oscar said. The break was over and the boys were on their way back to the classroom. – Who am I supposed to be with now? Milton said. – You just can't move, Emil said.

– No, you can stay at my place, Kevin said. – I also want William to live with me, Andreas said. – I’ll just have to move around, William replied. When they came in to the classroom, the boys called out loud – We’ve solved it! William can stay with us. Their teacher looked at them and said. – Yes, well he could do that, but don't you think his parents would miss him? – Oh, no, you're always ruining everything. I thought we had come up with a good solution, Milton replied angrily. – Why don't you keep in touch via mms and snapchat, their teacher said and continued, William will surely come and visit us.

– Dad and mom promised that I could visit, sniffed William, who struggled to hold back his tears. However, his best friend Milton couldn’t hold back the tears and ran crying to the bathroom. – I had planned that we would do math now, their teacher said, but I think we'll do something else. I think we do crafts instead. Can someone help me to fetch what we need? Four of the girls in the class signed up right away. It wasn't long before there were scissors, colored papers, tissue papers, wort balls, felt-tip pens, glitter and glue in place. William and his friends got in a better mood. When William got home, he was pretty tired. He immediately turned on a Henry Danger episode on the TV. The days passed quickly and William almost forgot that he was to move. Since he had training sessions a couple of times a week and hung out with his friends a lot, he was usually busy every day. William liked to have a lot to do. The summer holidays drew nearer and William was looking forward to be able to sleep a little longer in the mornings.

The graduation ceremony took place in a white church. Everyone in William's class wore summer clothes. The ceremony ended with them singing the hymn "Now comes the time for flowers". Then the students rushed out of the church. William and his parents had a tradition of always going out for dinner when it was graduation day. Because it was William's day, he got to choose which restaurant to go to. This year he chose the Copper Cauldron. It was a restaurant that was located near the water. After they had eaten he went to see his friends. They were supposed to meet up at Milton's house and play some football and have some food. Milton lived in a newly built house located on Klockare Alley. When William got there, it was Milton's father who opened the door. – Come in William, please, sit down over there, he said and pointed towards a group with a sofa and some chairs. The others haven't arrived yet. William sat down in a brown leather armchair. Strange, he thought to himself while he looked at the clock on his mobile phone. It's five minutes past four and on the invitation it said four pm.

– Where's Milton? William wondered. – We forgot to buy ice cream so he just rode his bike down to the store, Milton's dad explained. William heard a deafening noise from whistles, horns and several children shouting and running down from upstairs. – Surprise! The guys shouted as they ran down the stairs. William recognized his classmates and even some of his training companions. They blew festoons and threw confetti over him. William immediately started to laugh and picked up a whistle and blew. Milton's mom came down. – Hey, William. This is your surprise-, farewell- and see you soon again party, she added when she saw that several of the boys’ eyes began to tear. Tonight we're going to celebrate you. I've talked to your parents and you're going on vacation to Italy for a few weeks right after the football camp, so we're taking the opportunity to have your party now. We have prepared an epic party for you, and as you know, at parties you get gifts. William's friends ran to give William his presents. William immediately began to open them. He got a lot of presents, amongst them a new football, games of various kinds and a new computer game. William was thrilled for everything he got. Then they went out to the dining room where the table was set with sausages and burgers. For dessert it was chocolate pudding that William loves. The party had an obvious football theme. The tablecloth was made of green artificial grass and on the paper cups and napkins there were pictures of different football players. Even on the straws there were small footballs glued.

After they had eaten, they played various games and football. The evening ended with a treasure hunt where Milton's mother read various sports questions to them. When they answered correctly, she gave a clue where they should go in the garden to find the treasure, which consisted of candy bags. After that they continued to play some more football before the parents came to pick up their children. Everyone hugged William before they left and they made sure to update their phone numbers so they could stay in touch. – Promise me you'll get in touch, Emil said, – and that you won't forget us, Andreas filled in. – I promise, William replied. I'm going to snapchat and text you all. I'll ask if I can come and visit next summer.

– Then you can stay with me, Milton said quickly. – No, at my place. – No, he's going to stay with me, William's friends shouted at the same time. Milton's dad felt he needed to intervene and said. – When we know you're coming, we'll make a plan so you can meet everyone. William's friends were calmed by the answer. When William's mother came by a little later in the evening to pick William up, it was a tired but very happy boy she picked up that almost fell asleep in the car on the way home. Days went quickly by and summer holiday would soon be over and the moving day came quickly.

CHAPTER II JOURNEY BY TRAIN

William shouted from his room upstairs down to his mom in the kitchen. – Mom, Mom! He was lying in his bed trying to sleep. His thoughts swirled in his head. The last few weeks of the summer holidays had gone incredibly fast and tomorrow they would begin the move to New Zealand. William had had the whole summer break to digest the move and he had had time to say goodbye to all his friends. He had talked a long time with his best friend Milton and they had decided that they would at least be in touch once a week via skype. In addition, they would send text messages and snapchats to each other. In the last few weeks of the summer holidays, William's feelings for the move began to change. It wasn't that he was looking forward to the move, but it didn't feel as hard as it had done the first few weeks after he had learned about the move from his parents. William even felt deep inside of him that it would be exciting to move, but he wasn't going to admit that to his mom and dad. His parents had talked a lot about the move and showed pictures of the house that his grandparents had received as a gift. William remembered that his grandparents would live on the ground floor and William and his parents on the other floors. I wonder which of the rooms I should choose for my bedroom. William thought. Everywhere in the house there where piles of brown moving boxes. William and his parents had been packing all day. To make it easier to unpack, they had written with a felt-tip pen on each box what was in them. Boxes from the kitchen had kitchen written on them, boxes from William’s room had William written on them and so on. The whole house was filled with boxes. Tomorrow at eight o’clock the movers were supposed to arrive. William rolled to his side and began counting the moving boxes in his room. He counted it to 18 boxes. Some of the boxes where not full, because there where fragile items in them. His stargazers, his microscope, his PlayStation, his globe and a stack of books he had received from his grandmother.

William couldn't sleep. He lay on his back and then on his side again. He finally went out of bed. I wonder what mom and dad are doing? He thought. William went with gentle steps into their bedroom but they weren't there. He went downstairs and saw that they were sitting in the kitchen. They seemed to be talking about something interesting, but as soon as they saw William, they stopped talking. – Hello, William, having trouble falling asleep? mom asked. William nodded. – Come and sit down with us. I can make you some hot chocolate and a sandwich. Anne got up and went over to the fridge to get the milk.

– Can't you sleep either? William asked and looked at his parents. They looked at each other and then they started laughing. – Maybe you can put it like that, we probably have a hint of travel fever as well, dad replied. There's a lot that needs to go right tomorrow. I just hope the movers come at eight o’clock and that we can leave around noon, but you never know what's going to happen. – Here you go, here’s your hot chocolate and cheese sandwich, mom said and put it down on the kitchen table. William ate his sandwich and drank the milk chocolate. – Now it's probably best that we all go to bed for some much needed rest before the moving adventure starts tomorrow, mom said and started to clean the table while dad accompanied William to his room. William once again lay down in his bed. Do you think I'll like it in the new country? William asked. – I am absolutely convinced of that, dad replied. I had a fantastically exciting upbringing there and I'm sure you'll have the same. William made himself comfortable in the bed. Hmm, what could it be that is so exciting he thought but before he could finish the thought he fell asleep.

– Ring, ring, William's hand fumbled for the alarm clock, finally he found it and turned it off. He rubbed his eyes. Oops, it’s already seven o'clock, then I have to hurry. He stumbled out towards the shower. – Ouch! He almost stumbled on a moving box. When he had finished his shower, he went down to the kitchen. – Good morning darling, mom said and looked up. Welcome to a new day! Have you had a good night's sleep? – Yes, William muttered and then he ate his breakfast quickly, Cereal with milk, a bagel with cheese and cucumber and a cup of hot chocolate. – Did you take a shower? He heard his father shouting from upstairs. Then I'll finish packing in the bathroom. “Ding dong”, it was the doorbell that rang. – Oh, they're already here, mom said. – That's good, Henry replied, then we can start a little earlier with carrying out all the moving boxes and the furniture that we’ll bring with us. Dad opened the door. – Is it Mr. and Mrs. Silvercrona? one of the movers said. – You’re at the right place, William's father answered and invited them into the TV room on the ground floor. He walked with them around the house to show them what furniture they should bring and what furniture that would be left to the future owners, then the actual carrying began. They all helped with the carrying. There were five men from the moving company and with the support of the whole family it went pretty fast. Everything was done and packed into the trucks in three hours and the two moving trucks left. – Well, mom said as she stood in the window and watched the moving trucks leave. Now we're the only ones left. – Mmm, dad said and hugged her. Williams' father dialed the number to the taxi company.

– We want to order a cab for two adults and a child down to the central train station. – Yes, it'll be fine, thank you. The cab will be here in 15 minutes, dad called as he hung up the phone. They sat down at the kitchen table and waited. – I can't believe we're finally on our way, mom said. – It almost feels a bit unreal, dad said. It's going to be really exciting to show you where we grew up, he continued and turned to William. William began to get a little tingling sensation in the pit of his stomach. He sensed that this journey was just the beginning of a great adventure. The taxi came and drove them to the train station. From there, they would take the train to Copenhagen where they would take the flight to New Zealand. William sank into his seat and felt the fatigue wash over him. Probably the move and all the packing had been a strain that now released as they were on their way.

The train began to roll out of the station and there where people everywhere. It was really crowded, some had to stand up. After a few moments, William fell asleep with his head on his mother's shoulder. – Do you think we're doing the right thing to move back? Anne whispered to William's father. He nodded. – It’s the right time to do it. We couldn't have waited any longer. William slept for many hours before he woke up. His mother sat chewing on a sandwich and drinking mineral water. She looked up. – You want something to eat? – I'm not that hungry, but a banana would be nice, William replied. She rummaged around in her bag and picked up a banana, – Here you are, she said. – Thank you, William said and started chewing on the banana. When William looked out the window, he saw a bunch of trees passing by. It was late afternoon. – This can't be right, William exclaimed. We're on another train. William looked at his watch and added, we should have arrived in Copenhagen a long time ago.

– I know son, his father replied, but we needed to change train. You slept so well and we didn't want to wake you up. – Dad carried you and I carried the suitcases, mom said. – Are we not going to take the flight from Copenhagen? William wondered. William felt both dazed and tired. – Then where are we going? William asked.

– We'll take it later, William, your mother will tell you, William's father replied. – How are you feeling? Are you a little frozen? I always feel like that when I wake up. If you want, you can borrow my sweater? William's mother said quickly. William was far too tired to be able to protest or demand an explanation, instead he nodded and Anne picked up a thick sweater from her bag and put it on William. They must have changed route. Maybe we are to fly from England to New Zealand, William thought.

– There you go, now you're soon going to feel warm again. The train passed through a compact spruce forest. The only thing that gave a little light was the lights inside the wagon. It could not be very often that trains ran this track because the trees were very close to the rails, William reflected. It was almost as if the branches touched the wagon. When he looked around he saw that there was an old lady that sat and crocheted in the other end of the cabin, other than that they were alone. William picked up a book and started reading. Soon he was deeply immersed and read about stars, galaxies, planets and dark matter. After a while it became much brighter outside and when William looked up he saw that the landscape had changed. Now it was completely open with a lot of meadows and a few hills. – Get your things now, William, Anne said. – Are we there? William asked – No, it's still far left until we arrive but we need to change places to a wagon further back, his mother replied. – Ok, William said. They went through wagon after wagon. It was easy to pass through as there were hardly any passengers left. They went on and on, and then they came to a wagon that did not look at all like the other wagons. The seats were larger, much like armchairs with soft pillows to rest their heads on. In the wagon there were about ten seats and not a single one was occupied. From the speakers flowed sounds from the sea. William heard the roar of waves that softly hit land. On the walls there was wallpaper, blue as the sky with bright clouds on it. – Wonderful! William exclaimed. I've never seen anything like it. The windows were huge and went all the way down to the floor, which made you feel very close to the nature outside. In the wagon, a scent of freshly baked buns and bread spread. William rubbed his eyes and he felt noticeably light at heart. Then he hesitated for a while. It may be best to go back, he thought, but his mother's voice interrupted his thoughts, twittering loudly and pointed – Here’s our seats. She pointed to three large, dark green velvet armchairs. In the middle of the group there was a shiny dark brown round table. They had just time to sit down when a tall, nice looking conductor, dressed in a dark blue velvet blazer and associated trousers came to them and wondered.

– Could it be the Silvercrona family? – Henry nodded.

– Welcome. We've been expecting you, the conductor said, and continued. It took you a little longer than we had expected. – There were a lot of people in the wagons, so we had to wait a while before we could come, Henry answered. We didn't want anyone to follow us. – Very wise, the conductor replied. Well, now that you're here. Are you hungry? It may be a bit late for lunch but we can offer you freshly baked scones or freshly baked buns. They all decided to take scones and to drink they ordered tea and hot chocolate with whipped cream for William. After just a few moments, a waiter in black trousers and white shirt arrived with their scones. William took a bite of his scones and leaned back against the soft fabric of the chair. Can it be any better than this? he philosophized. When he looked out the windows he saw that the wagon was disconnected from the train and the other wagons disappeared further and further away. – Help! Is it really supposed to be like this? William cried out. Is there an emergency brake that we can pull? He looked nervously at his mother. – Just take it easy. It's all right, his mother said while she stroke hair from his forehead. You see, where we're going only a few specially selected people are allowed to go. There are different dimensions in the world and now we're going to a country that's in a different dimension than the one we've lived in. When you get a little older, you'll learn more about Einstein's theories, but for now it's enough that you know that we're going to a parallel world to the one we've lived in. – I don’t understand! William said. We're not going to New Zealand? Have you changed the plans? William’s father cleared his throat – Yes, Umm William, we’re not going to New Zealand but we're going to a parallel world. – Is there more than one parallel world? William asked and looked at his mother. – Of course there is, but not to this world, but to other worlds. Let's eat and we'll talk more about it later, she added.

William looked up with shocked eyes, so we're not going to New Zealand? Have you lied to me? William felt how angry he became. He sat down with his back to his mother and looked demonstratively out the window. However, he was too hungry to stop eating. – If you always knew that we were not going to New Zealand but a parallel reality, why didn't you say that from the start? Is there anything else you've been lying about? William wondered angrily.

– I understand if you're upset my son, his father said to him, but we thought it was best that you didn't know. Otherwise, you’d had to lie to your friends. You see, there are very few, or I would say no one else in this world who knows about the country we are going to. The existence of the country is a well-kept secret and must remain so, he said with seriousness in his voice. That's why we deliberately lied to you and said we were moving to New Zealand. William continued to eat his scones and drank his chocolate milk in silence. William had vaguely heard about Einstein's theories of parallel realities. So now I'm going to visit one of those, he thought. Actually, it's a little cool. No one in my class has ever been there. I think I'm going to text Milton. William stopped the moment he thought it. Sure, I’m not allowed to tell him about it. In a way, it was nice that his parents hadn't told him. When he thought about it, he realized that it would have been quite hard to lie to his closest friends. It wouldn't have been easy to not tell the truth. But, William thought to himself, I don't have to tell mom and dad they did the right thing. Instead, he turned to his mother. What's the name of the country we're going to? His mother, who immediately saw that William had recovered, replied Thyrridea, and we are going to the capital, Libra. The city is really teeming with life. I can't wait to see my childhood city again. It'll be really fun to show you where dad and I grew up. I'll show you the school that I went to and the café that I used to have coffee in and the lovely library where I used to borrow books. I just can't wait to get home. William knew mom was happy. She would move home while he had to leave his. The conductor cut them off. In 45 minutes we will arrive in the town of Linkon where you will continue the journey by boat.

When William looked out the window, he glimpsed the sea. The train made a strong pitch and went straight towards the small port town in the south. Outside the window, the train passed alongside an elongated sandy beach and William could almost smell the seaweed. Outside, the sun had begun to set and the wind blew heavily. The waves went high and hit the sandy beach. He heard seagulls shriveling up in the sky. William took the last bite of the scones and swallowed it down with the hot chocolate. Inside the cabin it was warm and comfortable. The train rocked in the hard wind and he could hear the wind blowing outside. It's good to be indoors, William concluded. He looked at mom and dad, who were both immersed in their books. He looked towards the silver jug with hot chocolate and towards the white dish with silver lining where there were still some buns and scones left. William thought that it was beautifully set. The napkins were made of thick cotton and the butter knife and the cheese knife was made of silver. He took it in his hand and felt how heavy it was. William took another spoonful of cream and clicked it into his cup. What a different journey this is. Nothing like the ones he'd been on before. Mostly he had flown to Italy, Greece and Spain. Then they had gone to Arlanda or Kastrup in Copenhagen. Once at the airport, they had to wait in long winding queues before they could check in their luggage. The passport was also always needed even though most of the countries he had been to were members of the EU. Yes, it’s all a little weird, William thought. Once inside the airport itself, it was often a bit quieter. There they used to have something to eat and drink before the plane departed. Mom used to walk around in the shops while he and dad usually sat at the gate and waited. Dad was the one who always sat with the tickets in his hand. Now it hit William, they hadn't shown any tickets since they got into this part of the train and it seemed that the conductor already knew who they were or at least knew they were coming. Yes, it was really a different journey. No stress, just relaxation. William continued with his thoughts. It looks like we're the only passengers. Maybe we're VIPs like celebrities are? They're used to being served all the time as if they were kings and queens. Or maybe this is first class? William shook off the thought almost immediately.

We are the only ones here and the conductor and the driver. He pulled his hand along the armrest. I don't think I've ever been so comfortable when I've been on a train. It was like sitting in the TV chair at home. He leaned his head back and just enjoyed it. It's beautiful. He looked out through the large windows again. Why don't our trains look like this in Sweden? It would have been so much better. When he came home he would indeed write to the train company and suggest how they should design the trains. Sure, I won't be home for a while. He thought a little about his friends Milton, Andreas, Kevin, Emil and Oscar. It felt sad to leave them but he would come and visit. What if they could move too, it would have been the best. He picked up his phone and sent text messages to his friends. He looked up and his eyes were pulled towards the wallpaper. The clouds were white and the sky color was light blue. The rays of the sun did glow with a warm golden yellow light on the clouds, but isn't there something written behind the cloud? He got up for a closer look. Um, I should have brought my magnifying glass. William saw a text in very small writing in dark blue and gold that was barely visible. He squinted with his eyes and made an effort to see. Um it seems to say “he who lives learns”. What does that mean? Is that a word of wisdom? He looked again to try to decipher the rest of the text. It said "life is a journey in time and space." – Mom, what does that mean? William asked. He pointed to the small text and read it out aloud. Are these words of wisdom? He wondered. – Yes, you can probably say it is, Anne replied. Its wise words that is important to reflect on from time to time. The person who lives learns roughly means that if you have an open mind, you can learn a lot in life. You learn new things every day about yourself, how people around you think and react. You can learn new things when, for example, you read books, go to school, read the newspaper or play computer games. Each night when you go to bed, you've learned something new that you didn't know or could do the night before. – Ah, I understand, William said, but the thing about life being a journey in time and space what does that mean? Do they mean life after death? Do they mean that you are in geographically different places at different times? Like now I'm on the train and yesterday I was at home in Sigtuna. Mom nodded – Something like that but there's a deeper meaning but you'll learn that when you start in your new school. – That sounds exciting, William mumbled. I already look forward to start there. By the way, what's the name of the school? – West Clermont, It's your dad and my old school. It shall be fun to see if you get any of our old teachers. Most of them are probably retired, but maybe there's someone left since we went there. Mom hugged dad's hand.

CHAPTER III THE PRINCESS