19There was a second knock at the door, and the old woman opened the it to see a small child with a runny nose standing on her doorstep, clutching the comforting hand of her older sister. The little girl gave a shriek of delight, and rushed into the woman's arms, leaving her sister behind.
"Nana!" The older girl smiled at the sight. Her sister didn't get to see her grandmother often, so it was a treat when she did. Her little red curls bounced up and down as she started to tell her grandmother everything that was happening in her life, from what her puppy ate that morning to the boy she liked at school. The old woman brought the girl inside and motioned for her sister to come in as well.
"My, my, it's cold outside," commented Nana. "It seems like the right type of weather for some hot cocoa, don't you think?" The little girl's eyes grew wide in enchantment as her grandmother hobbled over to the cupboard to take out a jar of cocoa she had purchased in the market years ago for just such occasions. She didn't drink the stuff much herself, but saved it for when her sole granddaughter came over to visit. Needless to say, it hadn't been used much.
"Would you like some too?" the woman asked the other girl, who was standing awkwardly at the edge of the kitchen.
"I suppose I would, if it wouldn't be too much trouble."
The elderly woman smiled and shook her head as her went to put a kettle over the fire. "Not at all." Her granddaughter's sister was a very nice young woman, a bit shy, but very kind. It was apparent that she cared deeply for the little girl, even though they were not related by blood.
"Nana, can we go sit in front of the fire?" asked the child excitedly. When the woman nodded with a mischievous smile, the small girl ran to take her sister's hand and then proceeded to drag her to the hand-woven rug in front of the fire.
The water started to boil and the woman took three earthenware mugs to the fire, where she proceeded to fill them with boiling hot water. The little girl reached for them eagerly, but her Nana shook her head. "Let them cool a bit first." She scooped some cocoa into the water, stirred it up and let it sit. It took her some time to get all three back to where the girls were sitting, for her legs were not what they used to be. She handed a mug to each of the girls and then warned them to blow on it before talking a sip.
"Nana, will you tell us a story?" This was the reason that the small child loved to visit her grandmother. She told the most exquisite stories that lasted for hours and took her to places she could only dream about.
The aged woman smiled gently as she settled down into her rocking chair. The fire crackled, blazing like the sun that had been shining a few hours earlier. "And what would you like to hear about? Battles?"
"Yes!"
"Castles?"
"Yes!"
"And what about princesses?"
"Oh YES! Lots of them! And princes too!" It did not seem as if the child's smile could get any wider.
"Alright then. I think that I have just the story for you." The woman nodded slowly, as if she was trying to recall it, but that was unnecessary, for she couldn't forget the story if she tried. "It is about a girl named Laurel. And Laurel was-"
"A princess?" the girl interrupted.
"Am I telling this story or are you?" scolded Nana, although she had a smile on her face. "Now, Laurel was about your sister's age. Fourteen or fifteen I believe. And one day, completely unintentionally, she went on an adventure that you wouldn't believe even if I told you. And I am going to tell you, so do not give me that face. But first, I have to begin with another one."
"Was Laurel beautiful?" interrupted the child again. Her grandmother sighed and decided to indulge the child.
"I wouldn't say beautiful. She was, however, pretty."
"What was she like?"
Nana sighed, not in exasperation, but in envy. "She had a soul like no other…She was so energetic, so lively, so…alive. It was because she was like that that she was chosen."
"For what?" asked the girl. Her sister sat quietly waiting for the story to begin, patient as could be.
"You'll see. Now here's the story-"
"Who's in it?" the little girl asked again curiously.
"Well, you know about Laurel. There was Wes, who was a sweetheart; Philip who was a tyrant; Reggie, who was such a troublemaker; Louella who was horribly cruel; Max who was everyone's favorite;…and Grace."
This is their story.
A/N: If you've gotten this far, thanks! It means a lot to me. Reviews are much appreciated, even if it's just to let me know you've been reading.