“Can I come too?”

He had wanted to ask the first time, or the second, but Tumelo always appeared to have something for him to do and his mother, while usually patient, sometimes would not wait for anyone.

She squatted down in front of him, glancing about conspiratorially. “Let’s see if we can get out of here before anyone notices.” She took his hand and they quickly made their way out. He loved it when they did things like this. When they would leave the castle and head out into town. This time though, this time it was to one specific place. These were the children that had come without parents.

He couldn’t imagine.

“Ready, my flower?” She stroked his hair back in the braids they were contained in.

He nodded and they entered the orphanage.