Our Grandparent's House. Part Two.

We were in a wood. A pretty wood. There was a pool filled with bright blue water, and trees with bright green leaves, that sounded like they were whispering in the gentle breeze. Overhead was a blazing hot sun. It hadn’t been particularly warm in the large house, and I’d been wearing a light jumper, but now I took it off.
“Wow,” I murmured, just looking at it all.
I looked at Peter. He was just as entranced by it all as I was. Then I looked behind me. The ladder that we had climbed down had conveniently disappeared, leaving us stranded here. I got a little worried. It may look pretty, but it could also be likely dangerous.
I looked back at my brother. He was still staring straight ahead, his mouth open. I shut it so he didn’t look so gormless, and looked towards where he was looking, and started.
A woman was walking towards us. She was really beautiful, with long flowing brown hair, and chocolate eyes. She was wearing a pink dress that emphasised her curves, though she wasn’t exactly fat. As she caught up with me and Peter, she smiled widely, showing off pearly white teeth, which made me feel guilty about not having brushed my own yellow ones that morning.
“Hello,” she had a soft silky voice. “Are you Susan and Andrew?”
I shook my head. I looked at Peter. He was still staring at the newcomer, his mouth wide open again. It was obvious he wasn’t going to speak. “I’m Alice, and this is my brother Peter.”
“Welcome to the Whispering Wood, Alice and Peter. I am Alda, princess of the Gypsics. The Grand One told me he was sending two children to help us, but he said they were called Susan and Andrew. Mind you,” she gave a little giggle. “He is quite old, so he’s probably getting forgetful.”
I stood there for a moment, not knowing what to say at first. “Erm, excuse me? But what do you mean that the Grand One was sending two children to help you?”
The Gypsic Princess smiled nervously. “My mother and I used to live in the Valley Of Gypsics with the rest of our people. My mother was a witch, and my father was a gypsic. We were the Royal Family of The Valley Of Gypsics. My mother isn’t an evil witch, she’s a good witch. But that didn’t stop everyone fearing her, because good witches aren’t as well known as evil witches are. They let us live in the Valley as long as Father was still alive, but Father died one day. That was when everyone banished Mother from the Valley to live in the Whispering Wood. They banished me too, because they all feared I would turn out to be an evil witch like Mother!”
Princess Alda sunk to the ground, sobbing. Not knowing what to say, I sat down beside her, and put an arm round her shoulder.
The princess looked up and smiled at me. “Who’s ruling over the Valley at the moment?” I asked.
“An evil sorcerer named Yelrettek. He’d wanted to become ruler of the Valley for years. It was him who poisoned my Father, and killed him, and it was him who poisoned my people’s minds against me and my mother through magic. He became king after we were banished, and then he turned my people into slaves. And my mother and I want to defeat him, and become Royals of the Valley again!”
“So who’s the Grand One then?” By this time Peter had joined us. “Where does he come from?”
“He comes from the Other Side,” Alda answered. “He is really old, and because of this, he is really wise, and can make really great decisions. My mother keeps contact with him through a really powerful crystal ball, although she can never remember where it came from; she’s had it for years. He is the one who Mother poured her heart out to about our plight, and he promised to help. He told us he was too old to do anything himself, but he would send two children he knew to help us. They would be called Susan and Andrew.” Princess Alda sighed. “When I came for my swim at the Blue Pool, I thought you two may be the two children he spoke of.”
“Sorry,” I apologised.
“Don’t worry, it’s not your fault. So tell me, Alice, where did you come from?”
“Well, we live in this place where humans live,” I started. “Peter and I had gone to stay with our grandparents for a week, and they told we could explore their house but not to go up the attic.” I glared at Peter. “Well, then my brother dared me to go up to the attic, and we both did. Only, when we climbed back down the ladder, we weren’t in our grandparents’ house anymore, we were here.”
The princess looked confused. “That was how the Grand One said Susan and Andrew would enter the Whispering Wood,” she told us. She studied me. “Are you sure your names are Alice and Peter, and not Susan and Andrew?”
“Pretty sure,” I said. “Sorry.”
“But if the story you told me is true, then surely that means you come from the Other Side?”
“Well, I suppose so,” I answered nervously.
“Well, then, you must be Susan and Andrew!”
“But Alice just said we’re not!” Peter protested. “And you did tell us earlier that your Grand One is getting forgetful.”
“That’s true,” the princess pondered. “Well then, that must mean that you are the children sent by the Grand One to help us?!”
“No!” Peter insisted.
“I’m sorry, Princess Alda,” I reasoned. “I didn’t even know this place existed until I found myself here a few minutes ago.”
“Well, we’ll find out then,” Princess Alda smiled. “My mother told me to carry this with me if I ventured out, in case I met the two children named Susan and Andrew.” She produced from a pocket in her dress, a large crystal ball. It was a circular object that had different pretty colours dazzling from it.
“I wish to speak to the Grand One please!” The princess shouted clearly. The colours disappeared, and a form started to materialize within the crystal ball. My brother and I got a little closer to have a look at the princess’s Grand One, then we both gasped in surprise.
“Hey! It’s Grandpa!” Peter exclaimed.