Happy Endings
Once upon a time, there was a child.
Lyra knew the story.
The girl met a boy and they became friends. No matter what troubles got in their way, they were still able to save the world, and they saved it together. Then, when all the trouble was through, they fell in love.
Though her eyes had long been too poor to see the pages, Lyra could tell the story from her heart. That was where it belonged, anyway. Her granddaughter, still a child, much like Lyra herself had been so long ago, loved hearing her grandmother tell her stories, fairy tales.
Yes, Lyra knew the real story, the truth, but her granddaughter never would.
And they all lived happily ever after.
Not all stories have happy endings.