" This is the story of the twins Eleda and Adele. Eleda is a safekeeper, someone who listens to secrets that have become to burdensome for others to carry alone. They never tell the secrets that they carry. Her sister Adele is a truthteller, someone who always tells the truth. Secrets are magically revealed to them when the time is right for the truth to be revealed. The girls are often mischievous and frequently get into trouble, especially with their best friend Roelynn, the daughter of the wealthiest merchant in town. The year the girls turn twelve the queen gives birth to a baby girl. She invites all the truthtellers and safekeepers in the realm to come and be introduced to the new princess Arisande. This is the beginning of the girls careers.
The year the girls turn fourteen Roelynn's father makes a deal with the queen, for Roelynn to marry Prince Darian. This devastates Roelynn, because she thinks she is in love with her father's groom. He also forbids her to see Eleda and Adele, because as the daughters of inn keepers they are not exalted enough for the future queen. This does not deter Roelynn, who manages to see them anyway. The night before Roelynn leaves on the trip to meet the queen, she sneaks over to their inn and pours out her troubles to them. Her older brother, Micah, finds them and brings Roelynn home before they all get into trouble. To the queen's irritation and Roelynn's delight, the prince and his cousin sneak off and Roelynn cannot be introduced to him. When she returns, Roelynn tells the girls that she is now in love with a dashing man from town. Thus a pattern for the next few years starts. Roelynn falls in and out of love, usually dragging Eleda and Adele into her troubles, and yearly she visits the queen, only to find out that the prince and his cousin have snuck off on some escapade or another.
The year the girls turn seventeen a dancing master and his apprentice come to stay at the inn. Roelynn and Micah come to take private lessons. Adele and Eleda are added to make a total of three couples. Roelynn promptly falls in love with the apprentice, thus setting the stage for a confrontation with her father. "
Michelle, Resident Scholar
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