The Masterful Trickery

"Okay," Valerie excitedly said, carefully replacing their grandparents' ancient china on the table and crossing her legs where she settled the couch. "So let us do a recap."

Violet, her twin, nodded her, her dark hair swaying with her head.

They both turned to look at their grandparents.

"I am erasing all—everything—I've read about Nick, Ralph and Emma in my head," Valerie said.

"Me too," Violet agreed.

Their grandmother smiled with amusement, shaking her head in mock disappointment. "They do not like my fiction, Eddie."

Their grandfather laughed.

The twins rolled their eyes. "Because Gram, you twisted the events."

Fiona Trilby chuckled. "That I did."

"So, again, a recap," Valerie said, counting with her fingers. "Sophia has been taken by Osegod, that devil Town Leader. He does not even care that she is almost blind, does he?" Their grandmother nodded. "Nicholas is devastated and I can only imagine his despair. He does not deserve it. He was so much fun and to have Sophia taken away from him ruined him for good and it is not fair!" Their grandmother nodded again, this time with a solemn look in her eyes. "So now Ralph is in search for Sophia, right? Because it is his job as a Town Guard."

"With the help of Maggie as a League of Founder," added Violet.

"Who must be very distraught, right?"

"She must be blaming herself for what happened to Aurora," Violet supplied.

"Yes, right." Valerie continued counting. "Durley, Sophia's brother, is in Willowfair to distract Osegod while the Sophia Search and Rescue is going on."

"Yes," their grandmother said with a nod.

"And then Alex, our favorite bandit ever, finds a woman dying in the Dark Forest."

"No, she was dying but she really died," Violet corrected. "Or did she live?" she added, hopefully looking at their grandmother. "What happened after that, Gram? What's next?"

Their grandmother shared a look with her husband. Her dark eyes glistened with tears as she composed herself, pulling at the sleeves of her dress. Shifting in her seat, she reached for her teacup and with a slight natural old-age tremor she took a sip, as graceful as always.

The twins shared a look with their grandfather who gave them a wink. Be patient.

They both moistened their lips in anticipation as Fiona Trilby finished her tea. It was almost midnight and they were starting to fear that their grandmother would stop her storytelling. They were going home in twenty-four hours and they wanted to have the rest of the story before going back to their lives thousands of miles away.

"Gram," Violet gently prodded.

Their grandmother sighed. "I truly wished I would never have to retell the events," she said with a sad smile.

Valerie's face fell. "Oh, God, is it that tragic?"

It was their grandfather who shook his head. "I would not say so, but it does open a ton of tragedies."

Violet shrugged. "I don't mind. I just want to know what happened."

The twins continued to look at their grandmother expectantly.

"Very well," the woman said, "Ralph's story starts with the Forest Lady as Alex would later call her..."