The Clash, Book One

Chapter 24: Eloise Gardener, Part C

That night, after Alena had given the twins their bath, she was brushing their hair. Though it only reached a little past their shoulders, it still tended to get a bit tangly.

As she finished Emma's hair, the little girl climbed in her bed. She then looked around until she spotted her teddy bear.

Alena couldn't help but smile as Emma held the bear close to her chest.

When the girls were born, Emma and Killian bought the twins teddy bears as a gift. One of the bears had a pink bow while the other one had a purple bow.

From her place in Alena's lap, Lily then asked her sister, "My bear, Belle?"

Emma shook her head before she pointed to the purple bow and she stated, "My bear, Punzel."

Lily nodded before she exclaimed, "Ow, Mommy!" when Alena brushed over a particularly tangled spot.

"I'm sorry, sweetie," Alena began as she kissed her daughter's head. She then explained, "You have a knot in your hair."

"Hurt," Lily complained with crossed arms.

"I know, but I'll be gentle," Alena told her, earning a nod from her daughter. The blonde then proceeded to brush daughter's blonde locks. Lily still had her arms crossed.

Emma then reached over and grabbed her sister's bear and handed it to her.

"Make better, Lily," the little girl spoke. "Tank you, Emma." Emma nodded before she climbed back in her bed.

Alena couldn't help but smile at her precious girls. She then continued gently running the brush through Lily's hair.

She soon finished and told Lily, "There you go." The little girl nodded before she climbed in bed.

Alena tucked both of her girls in before Lily asked, "Story, Mommy?"

Emma excitedly nodded as she added, "More Grandma Emma and Grandpa Killian story."

"Pease?" the twins then asked simultaneously.

Alena couldn't help but chuckle before she told them, "Yes, I will finish Grandma and Grandpa's story."

"Yay!" the girls cheered.

Alena smiled at them. She then began, "We left off where Grandma Emma took the darkness to help protect everyone."

The girls nodded before Emma piped up, "Everybody help take darkness away."

"That's right," Alena began. She paused before she continued, "To help Grandma, everybody had to go a land called Camelot, where they met King Arthur and Queen Guinevere."

"They nice?" Lily then interjected.

With a sigh, Alena then answered, "King Arthur only cared about staying king, and he didn't care if he hurt people to stay king. He cast a spell on Guinevere so she couldn't help him be nice..."

"Meanie!" Emma and Lily then protested.

"I know," Alena sympathized, running her fingers through her girls' hair. She then assured them, "But Grandma Emma, Grandpa Killian, and the rest of our family were able to help Queen Guinevere and defeat King Arthur with the help of a nice wizard named Merlin and a nice knight named Lancelot.

"Our family got the special sword called Excalibur, which would take the darkness away from Grandma Emma."

The girls cheered at that, and it made Alena partially wish that things were that simple.

She then took a breath and explained, "But Grandma and Grandpa had to face some more problems before they could get rid of the darkness. You see, Grandpa Killian got hurt by Excalibur while defeating King Arthur.