Joshua and Liana opened the door to the study just enough for them to slide inside. They slowly approached the big chair by the fire place that was facing away from them.

“I wonder why my little angels are late today.” The voice came from behind the chair.

The siblings didn’t look surprised that their Grandfather had caught them sneaking on him, they had never been successful before. Liana ran to him and flung her arms around him and sat on his knees. Joshua pulled a chair near the fire place and sat on it.

“Is your story done Alex?” Liana always called him Alex, despite the effort of her parents to persuade her not to.

“How can I not carry out the orders of my princess? I have indeed finished it and here it is.” Alex picked up a writing pad from the table and showed it to Liana. The fact that she hadn’t learnt how to read properly and had trouble completing a sentence didn’t stop her from trying.

“One… once… up…on… upon a time…”

“No!” Joshua groaned. “Not the same prince, princess and rabbits again. I am closing my ears.”

“How about spaceships then?” Alex tilted his head towards Joshua; he took the pad from Liana.

“Let me do the reading dear, we must finish before dinner time.”

Liana seemed to be glad to be parted with the pad as she was stuck at a particularly difficult world. “Alex, don’t read the story. Tell us the story.” Liana liked it when her grandfather told the stories with hand movements and expressions.

“Yes dear, why not?” Alex patted her cheek and and smiled to himself this way he could add those spaceships.

“Once upon a time there lived a king, his kingdom extended from the one end of the Sirus galaxy to the other. He had a daughter and a son.”

So the story went on ten minutes, the princess’s wardrobe was described in detail till Liana was satisfied. Alex returned to the main plot when he saw Joshua stifling a yawn.

“The prince was made the commander of the fleet.” Here Alex had to describe the make and weaponry of the whole fleet.

“The princess was made the head of the worlds that supplied the kingdom with food.” One look at the clock and Alex knew that he had to take a few shortcuts.

‘The king died in a crash. The evil Lord Angues of Anthron had planned this; he wanted the throne for himself. The prince rushed to the capital with his entire fleet. Lord Angues knew that he couldn’t fight the entire fleet, but he had planned this for a long time. He attacked the planet of Astoore, from where the food worlds were controlled. The princess sent messages to her brother for help. The prince however didn’t want to risk his throne and didn’t send any reinforcements. The princess bravely defended Astoore but without reinforcements it was impossible to hold back Lord Angues. The princess somehow escaped from his clutches.’

“Joshua is like the prince, he broke my doll.” Liana interrupted Alex.

“No, I didn’t!” Joshua burst out, “She cut my comics to make a collage.”

“It was my favorite doll.”

“I hadn’t even read Spiderman-the Sandman menace.”

“Are you two fighting again?” Their mother was standing in the doorway, “Dinner in ten minutes.”

“Alex, finish the story…fast.” Alex who was lost in his own thoughts took a few seconds to realize that Liana was tugging at his arm.

“Yes…yes. Lord Angues was cunning though; he starved the capital and bribed some of the fleet officers. The prince was betrayed by his own officers and Lord Angues started for the capital to be crowned king. The princess meanwhile had gathered her father’s allies. Her fleet ambushed Lord Angues’s fleet and destroyed it. She then took back the capital and released the prince. The prince asked for her forgiveness and then they ruled the kingdom for many years.”

Liana kissed Alex, “Thank you.”

“You get going now or your mother will scold you, I will join you in a minute.” Alex gently lifted Liana off his knees.

Once the siblings were gone, Alex lifted the writing pad and turned to the last page. He erased the last line and left the study.

The last line barely visible now read,

“Brother, forgiveness? I came here so that I could have the satisfaction of ordering your execution.”