A big thank you once again to Emma Kendrick for providing her thoughts on the chapter!
The creak of wheels followed behind the trio on their way into the orphanage. The first barrow was laden with fruits and vegetables, the second with fish and meat, the third with chickens, the fourth with wooden swords and toy horses for the boys, the fifth with small sewing kits and whalebone hairbrushes for the girls, and the sixth with assorted clothing.
"Welcome, Queen Sabrina," the orphanage mother said, curtsying. "And Princess Gwennalyn and Ambassador Athar. Our most sincere and heartfelt gratitude for your presence and your gifts today. Please, come in! The children are all gathered and very excited."
"Lovely!" Queen Sabrina replied brightly, curtsying back. "Let's not keep them waiting."
Gwennalyn followed her mother into the main yard, Athar behind her, three Royal Guardsmen behind him. Children were gathered in ragged rows, varying in age and size. She quickly spotted three orc children, splashes of green amidst the otherwise generally similar colors.
"Children, this is Queen Sabrina, the Mother of the Free Lands. The eldest of you might remember her from her last visit."
The boys bowed and the girls curtsied, some clumsy and unsure, others more graceful.
"Now, time for what we practiced!"
The orphanage mother stepped up closer to the children, and raised her arms.
The children began to sing.
'Long May the Eagle Fly' had been the official song of the Royal Family since well before the princess had been born.
Never quite heard it like this before though.
Some of the children had obviously not paid attention during the practices, but offset their shaky grasp on the lyrics with boisterous voices, often overshadowing the children who did actually know the lyrics. Several sang very enthusiastically, but off-key, ultimately drowning out the good voices.
Gwennalyn glanced over at her mother, who beamed at the children. The orphanage mother looked slightly distressed, but her own glance at the queen helped her relax.
The children soldiered on through the song and ended gradually, some finishing the final note before the rest, leaving a dozen or so voices for a few seconds.
"Wonderful!" the queen said, clapping her hands together. "I have heard many renditions, but that was one of my favorites."
Gwennalyn clapped along, smiling at her mother's exuberance.
The children bowed and curtsied again, this time with a bit more confidence.
"Children," the orphanage mother continued, "the Queen and the Princess have brought us some gifts!"
The barrows trundled into the main yard. The children murmured among themselves, obviously curious, the more restless stepping forward for a better look.
The orphanage matrons took charge of the barrows with the chickens and food and clothes, but the remaining two stopped in front of the children. The Queen reached into the closest and took out a wooden sword, smooth and dull, the grip made of brown leather. The children murmured again. She padded towards them, her simple red dress swishing above the packed dirt.
"What's your name?" she asked one of the boys at the front of the gathering.
He blinked in surprise.
"Culver."
She handed over the sword.
Culver stared at the blade, swishing it back and forth, a wondrous expression on his face.
"You boys will all soon be men," the Queen continued. "Men of the Free Lands."
She glanced back pointedly towards the Royal Guardsmen.
"Men of the Free Lands are expected to fight and protect. In the name of the Free Lands, in the name of the gods, in the name of the family you may someday make. In my name, in my husband's name, in our children's names."
The boys all stared back with the same wondrous expression.
"Remember that swords are not the only way to fight and protect," her mother said wisely, walking back towards the barrows.
She reached into the second one, and took out a small sewing kit. The contents rattled slightly. She padded back towards the children and opened the box to pluck out a sewing needle.
"What's your name?" she asked one of the girls at the front of the gathering.
"Bethette," the girl said shyly.
The queen handed over the kit.
"And you girls will all soon be women. Women of the Free Lands. Mothers and wives."
Bethette peeked inside the kit, eyes bright with interest.
"Women of the Free Lands are expected to keep the house together. To nurture a family. Sewing might not seem all that important, but trust me, it will be one of the most important skills you learn. And it is just one example of how to keep a house together and nurture a family."
She slipped back towards the barrows, beckoning Gwennalyn to join her.
"Come, children," the orphanage mother spoke up, waving them forward. "Two lines, one for the boys, one for the girls."
The children lined up, the orphanage mother helping them stay organized. The queen watched, smiling idly, and began to scoop up the items from the girls' barrow. Gwennalyn followed her lead with the boys' barrow.
Each boy received a wooden sword and a toy horse, and each girl received a sewing kit and a whalebone hairbrush. The queen made sure to ask each child's name and chat with them, adding a graceful personal touch to the brief interactions. Gwennalyn did her best to follow that lead.
After several minutes, the carts were empty, and the children were chattering happily. The queen strode through the midst, stopping here and there to compliment a boy's sword or describe the contents of the sewing kit to a curious girl.
Gwennalyn followed her lead again, albeit not physically, winding her own path through the gathering, smiling and nodding.
Ahead, three boys were whispering among themselves, gaping at Sir Raymus, the Royal Guardsman standing by the courtyard wall, arms folded across his chest.
"You ask him," one of the boys told another.
That boy hesitated, but then stepped cautiously towards Sir Raymus.
"Excuse me, Sir Knight?"
Sir Raymus glanced down, arching his brow.
"Is...is that real?" the boy asked, pointing to the sheathed sword hanging off the guardsman's hip, the hilt burnished and gleaming.
Sir Raymus nodded.
"Can we see it?"
The guardsman hesitated.
"Please?" one of the other two boys asked hopefully.
"Come now, Sir Raymus," the princess spoke up. "Surely it can't hurt to give them a look."
The knight nodded, and pulled his sword out. The blade caught a ray of sunlight, steel flashing dangerously. The boys stared in wonder.
Gwennalyn slunk past them, fighting back a laugh at the looks on their faces.
A few paces ahead, a small figure brushed past her, ducking around her skirt.
"Oh!" she said in surprise, looking down at the skinny girl crouching stealthily.
Two more girls ran up. The skinny one ducked around Gwennalyn again, pressing against her hip.
One of the girls peeked around her other side.
"Where'd she go off to?" the princess asked, turning away, pushing the skinny one behind her back.
"She's behind you!" the second girl crowed triumphantly.
"I think I would know if she was behind me," the princess teased, turning away again.
The skinny one dashed off. The two girls chased after her, giggling loudly.
Gwennalyn continued on, winding her way around groups of children. Her mother was now combing a lanky girl's hair and chatting with her, the girl flanked by a gaggle of other girls waiting their turn.
Ahead, Athar crouched before the orc children, talking solemnly to them, serious expressions on their faces. None were markedly bigger than other similarly-aged children around them, and their skin tones were slightly different. Closer now, she noticed their facial features, more human-like than Athar's.
Half-breeds.
She slowed to give the ambassador space with them, despite her curiosity.
After another minute of discussion, the children speaking up once or twice, he stood, and nodded. The children dashed off, peeling away from each other after a few yards.
The ambassador smirked at her.
"Do they make you think of having your own?"
She blushed.
