A warm welcome to this bedtime story.
This one has been written by Ellie,
One of my lovely patrons.
Tonight,
You will embark on a peaceful adventure into the winter hall of an enchanted fairy castle,
A place where magic and wonder are waiting around every corner.
Thank you,
Ellie,
For sharing your story with us.
Before we begin,
We will do a short relaxation session,
Preparing you for a good night's sleep.
Please remember that there is no right or wrong here,
And there is no particular way that you should feel in these moments.
Each experience is as unique as us all,
So try to let go of any pressure you might be putting on yourself to feel certain things,
Or perhaps to fall asleep quickly tonight.
It doesn't matter if you do or you don't.
If you simply follow my voice and allow this story to wash over you,
Then you will enter a world of deep relaxation,
Where you can rest and recover.
So,
When you are ready,
Just feel the eyelids becoming heavier and heavier with each passing blink,
Until they gently close.
Remind yourself that this is your time to relax.
There is nothing left to do and nothing left to think.
The day is done now.
Whatever has happened is already in the past,
And here,
In this moment,
The future is beyond our reach.
So,
If thoughts arise about the day or the week that has been,
Or the days ahead of you,
Then acknowledge that these thoughts are completely normal and valid.
They are part of what makes us human,
Which is a wonderful thing.
But also kindly remind yourself that these thoughts or concerns are of no use to us now,
And tonight,
There is no need to engage with them.
They are simply thoughts,
As fleeting as shooting stars across a night sky.
You are safe tonight,
And you are protected.
You can be reassured by the fact that my voice and this story will never take you anywhere that is unpleasant.
Your sleepy cat is simply here to guide you on your own twilight adventures,
And to help you enter a world of magic and peace where you can be completely free.
And now,
We will do a short,
Guided breathing pattern called 3-4-5.
This will allow you to slow down and relax,
Preparing your body and your mind for a wonderful,
Peaceful rest.
When you are ready,
Breathe in through the nose for 3,
Hold for 4,
And breathe out for 5.
Let all of it go now.
Again,
That's in for 3,
Hold for 4,
And release,
Blowing away the thoughts of yesterday,
Today,
And tomorrow.
Again,
In for 3,
Hold.
Continue to breathe in this way in your own time,
And with each breath out,
Allow your body to sink just that bit deeper.
Allow your breath to fall back into a natural rhythm.
Enjoy this new relaxation and peace flowing through your body.
Allow your mind to soften and your imagination to come alive as we begin tonight's story from Ellie.
You wake up after a refreshing slumber,
With the whole day ahead of you to explore the enchanted castle nestled deep in the old-growth forest.
Your stomach is still pleasantly full after the elaborate feast your hosts put on last night in your honor,
And there is a mug sitting on a silver tray next to your bed with a gentle steam curling out of it.
You sit up on the luxurious bedding as you sip your drink and watch the forest begin glowing golden in the sunrise outside of the stone window.
After leisurely getting ready for the day in a comfortable outfit,
You leave your room and walk down the stone corridors at random,
Knowing that whichever path you take will lead you to a new,
Beautiful discovery.
Very soon,
You arrive at a wooden door that is carved with dozens of snowflakes,
Each one unique and lovingly crafted.
You twist the handle and open the door to reveal the entrance to the ever-winter hall.
Fat,
Fluffy snowflakes lazily drift from the open ceiling,
Despite the warmth outside on the late summer day,
And land in small piles on the stony floor.
There are long,
Sturdy tables of dark oak lining the hall,
And the snowflakes slide off the air and around the tables,
As if these tables are insulated by a protective bubble,
Leaving them clean and dry.
The air around you smells of fresh pine and evergreen trees,
Carried by a gentle breeze that leaves your skin feeling soft and fresh.
A large silver bowl of fire crackles in the middle of the room.
Icy blue flames are dancing as tall as a steed and emitting a warmth that somehow does not melt the snowdrifts.
Despite the snow and the breeze,
You feel pleasantly warm and cozy,
As if this magical fire was embracing you in a hug.
As you walk further into the ever-winter hall,
You notice a small figure seated at the table closest to the fire.
The fairy woman smiles as though she has been expecting you.
Her long hair,
The color of heather,
Is tied in a complex braid that weaves around her head and down her back,
Neatly tied at the end with ivy.
She wears a burgundy cloak and is seated next to a large satchel overflowing with thick,
Richly bound books.
A particularly large volume is opened before her and rests next to a small glass jar containing a portable flame.
She reaches into the air next to her and magically conjures a blue satin ribbon.
Gently places it on the page she was reading and turns to look at you with a smile,
A strand of curled heather hair escaping its braid to frame her face.
Welcome.
I'm honored to meet our esteemed guest,
She says,
Her voice soft but carrying over the crackling flames.
This room was enchanted by my grandfather as a gift for me when I was little.
I always loved how peaceful and still the world felt on a crisp winter's day.
My breath coming out in little clouds that drifted up to join the bigger clouds in the sky and robins singing from the branches.
I'm glad I can share this with you today.
She reaches out and gestures for you to sit down beside her.
The wooden bench is surprisingly comfortable as if there are invisible cushions beneath you.
With a wave of her hand she conjures up another pot of the delicious drink that was on your bedside table and pours you a cup to sip as you introduce yourself.
She grew up in this enchanted castle and is excited to hear about all of your adventures in the outside world.
In the distance you can hear a faint bird song echoing around the room as the birds share the news of your arrival amongst themselves.
Then you hear a gentle fluttering as a small robin lands next to your cup.
Its belly is snow white and its chest is the orange of glorious autumn leaves.
It tilts its head to the side to look at you and hops closer,
Feeling safe that you are a friend to it.
The fairy woman takes your hand and gently cups it with her own.
You feel a pleasant warmth as magic courses through your hand.
And when she lifts her hand up you see that your palm is full of ripe red berries glistening like rubies.
The robin seems to know that this is a special treat for them and flutters over to your hand.
They carefully pick up the cluster of berries and take it away to eat.
You see your robin land near several others and it delicately places the berries down for all of them to share.
Even the birds and the small creatures here are kind by nature and freely share their bounty with all.
You pick your drink back up and take another sip as you watch the birds and the drink is still the perfect temperature.
You ask your new friend about the books she has in front of her and the fairy woman explains that there is a hidden library in the Everwinter Hall that is filled with enchanted books that do wondrous things.
Some of the books can grow the flowers that are described in their text while others can transport you to different magical worlds or grant you a peaceful slumber.
She has spent centuries collecting these books.
If you would like I can show you the library she says trusting you with this secret.
You nod excitedly and she picks up the tiny flame in the jar that she had been using as a reading light.
As you look at the flickering flames you feel a calmness washing over you.
The fairy leads you further into the hall and up to a tiny grove of pine trees that seem to be growing out of the stone wall.
She leans towards one of the tree trunks tilting the jar towards its bark.
In the flickering glow silver runes appear before you and she reaches out her hand to run them over the runes and whispers the password.
The branches of the tree fold away revealing a smooth wooden door in the wall that swings open by itself to admit you.
Now that you know the password you may visit this library whenever you like while you are staying with us the fairy assures you.
The walls of the library look like they are made of glossy ice and two richly upholstered chairs decorated with fluffy pillows sit in front of another blue fire in an ornate silver fireplace.
Hundreds of ancient books line the floating shelves on the walls.
She smiles giving you permission to look through this hidden collection and pick whichever you would like to read.
You run your fingers over the spines of the books each one containing centuries of fairy tales and knowledge.
Until at last you feel one calling you towards it.
You pull it from the shelf feeling its light weight and looking at the beautiful illustration embossed on the cover.
That is an excellent choice she says gesturing towards the two seats.
My grandfather used to read this to me before I went to sleep.
It guarantees only the sweetest and most tranquil dreams many of which often come true after you wake.
Would you like me to read it to you?
You agree thanking your new friend and you make yourself comfortable in one of the armchairs.
From your reclined position the glossy walls twinkle like starlight in the reflected blue flame and you feel the warmth slowly spreading across you.
The pillows feel as though they have been perfectly shaped just for you and you feel your whole body relax down into them.
The fairy woman sits down next to you,
Opens the book and starts to read.
Her soft voice sounds like a lullaby as she reads strange words you have never heard before yet somehow you understand their meaning.
You feel your eyes closing slowly and you know that you are safe to fall asleep in this magical library and you are comfortable with your new friend.
As you drift off to sleep she promises you that when you wake up the two of you will have a picnic and she will show you more of the fantastic rooms inside her enchanted castle.
