Marinus led Theanore to the lake where apples grew. He picked one low-hanging apple and cleaned it in his shirt before handing it to the nymph.

“That is cannibalism, Mari!” She said, petrified. Marinus burst out laughing.

“And is it cannibalism when I eat fish? Thea, this tree probably doesn’t even have a nymph! You are so silly, sometimes.”

“I am not silly,” said Theanore as she looked at the apple. Then she bit into it. When no screaming come, she bit off some flesh and began to chew.

“Is it good?” Asked Marinus as he took an apple for himself.

“Very. But this doesn’t harm the tree, does it?” Asked Theanore and Marinus facepalmed.

“How would it? If anything, we are helping the tree. Its branches will fall under the weight of so much fruit.”

Theanore finished her apple lightning-fast and reached for another.

“I’ll save you, apple tree!” She said, and Marinus began to chuckle.

“You are so precious, Thea. Every time I think you can’t amaze me anymore you do something like this,” said Marinus between chuckling as Theanore was eating the second apple. “If you get a tummy ache from everything you already ate, then I am telling uncle Crassus. The farmers will get all the apples by themselves.”

“Wait! Are we stealing these apples?” Asked Theanore, apple half-raised to her mouth.

“No. They are snacks included in the one gold coin ticket we all paid for. Uncle Crassus told me we sold 1000 tickets. They only need to make the rest 4540 coins. With all the enchantment items we have for sale, we will definitely manage to publish your book.”

“I never doubted we will make it,” said Theanore, sure of herself, nose high in the air. Marinus flicked it and she rubbed her nose indignantly. Then Marinus bends down and kisses Theanore’s nose.

“There, let it go to the seal,” said Marinus as he went to lie down on the grass. He picked a stone and threw it in the lake. It sunk and a group of fireflies flew up around the lily pads.

“It is so pretty,” said Theanore, laying down and using Marinus’ outstretched hand as a pillow. “Mari, can we do something more for the guests? Something they won’t forget?”

“We haven’t planned anything,” said Marinus. “But I have something in mind. Can you plant numerous sunflowers around the lake? You bought a bag of seeds earlier. And maybe some roses?”

Theanore’s hand shot to her bag, where she had all the seeds she had bought today. She could spare some.

“We can make an alley for the lovebirds that are visiting the fair. Maybe Nathan will get enough courage to get Danika to sit by it?” Asked Marinus. Even though the two editors were dating, it was a slow process. And they didn’t have the excuse that one of them was practically a newborn.

“And grandpa and grandma Thinker can walk down it too. Oh, oh! We can have a wedding! We may marry them! Not only that, but we have a priest manning the juice stall!”

Marinus chuckled and got up.

“We can’t marry them if they prefer not to be married, Thea.”

“Yes, we can, Mari. I have just the plan,” said Theanore, cackling.

As the two little imps were making the wedding stage, grandpa Thinker was walking back to the puppet stage with grandma Merriweather. They were walking hand in hand, and grandma Merriweather’s free hand shot up to touch her new necklace from time to time.

“Did you mean it? When you said I only needed to ask, and I can become grandma Thinker?” Asked grandma Merriweather. Grandpa Thinker coughed, not expecting the question.

“I am not a liar, granny. But we have to find a special place for the wedding. We can’t just marry in just about any temple. This…this will be my first wedding. And my last,” said grandpa Thinker, blushing.

When they neared the stage, children were waiting, but they blocked the path of the elderly couple and began to tug at their sleeves.

“You have to come by the lake! You just have to see what the author of the book and her boyfriend made you!” Said the girl who wanted to write to the paper to expose grandpa Thinker earlier.

“Yes, it is so beautiful!” Said a girl as she tugged.

“Don’t you want to hear another fairy tale?” Asked grandma Merriweather.

“No! You both have to come. It was made just for you!” Said the boy who had called Theanore a Dryad.

As they walked, a crowd formed behind them, and they could hear a jolly Yule tune playing from the direction of the lake. The children didn’t have to tug anymore as the two elderly people stopped in front of the beginning of a carpeted alley that was flanked by sunflowers that had roses wrapped around them.

They walked down the alley and people clapped as they passed. Then they saw the priest and a portable altar before them. But grandpa Thinker had to do this right. He couldn’t get married before he proposed.

Dropping on one knee, he noticed that people quieted down, and he cleared his throat.

“I am many things. Mean and unreasonable. Puffed up and doubtful of me at the same time. But I am certain that I will never find a better partner for the rest of my life. And I am not saying this because I want to flatter you, grandma Thinker.”

Grandma Merriweather’s knees almost turned to noodles when she was addressed so by grandpa Thinker.

“I am saying it because I always wanted to, but never felt I was worthy enough,” then grandpa Thinker took off the only level 9999 ring in the world from his finger, a life-extending enchantment on it. He gave it to grandma Merriweather.

She took it and placed it on her finger. They stood up and went the rest of the way to the priest and had a wonderful ceremony. What they didn’t know, however, was that the crowd had to pay one gold coin to watch their wedding. Apart from the children. The money was given for Theanore’s book and with these final 600 coins, she had the 81540 coins she needed for her book.

End of book one.

Book two synopses:

Theanore and Marinus look forward to Yule, now on the good list. But a gremlin overseer of the worker elves back on Alerion is disgruntled with having to treat his subordinates better. Darion the gremlin will stop at nothing to return things to what they used to be. Can grandpa Thinker and Theanore change his mind before Yule is ruined for everyone?