As she and Kalvin walk back to the palace the people she passes stop and bow their heads, murmuring "Your Majesty." She nods in return. Kalvin has a slight smile on his lips. She has the respect of the people and his. His opinion of her had not been the highest but since Rosa came her standing in his eyes had been rising. Today she had won him over completely ,she was now fully his Queen.

When they reached the palace, she lead them to the garden gate, where she checked the state of the bricks. The latest batch is drying nicely, they are nearly ready. Entering the garden she goes to the far end, checking on the bathhouse. Tobias and his friends have three of the walls woven ready for mud. She nods to herself. I need to check the status of the tiles with Harry.

With Kalvin following her she enters the palace, removes her shoes and stockings leaving them in the vestibule. She tells Kalvin, "You are free for the rest of the morning Kalvin, I'll call if I need you. See you at dinner."

"Thank you Your Majesty." He turns and climbs the stairs to the guardroom, he has a report to make.

Going to the kitchen, she sees Emi tending the children, serving them a half a sandwich and a cup of milk. Tilly is watching as she works on dinner. Sitting down at the small table with them she asks, "Emi, could I have a cup of tea, Please."

"Of course, Your Majesty."

"Is you the Queen?" asks Benny.

"It's are you the Queen, Benny." his sister corrects.

"I am. How are you feeling Benny?" He has taken a large bite of the sandwich so has to chew it before he can answer.

Swallowing he says, "I feel fine now."

She reaches out and ruffling his hair. Turning to Beth, "And you?"

"I am sad, I don't know what to do."

"It will be fine, sweetie, just you wait." Turning , "Tilly, do you think we have any clothes that would fit these young ones?"

"I would have to look in the attic, your majesty. Shall I go now?"

"Are you able to leave dinner?"

"Ah, not really. Emi could you fetch Molly for me, she can go look. She should be up stairs cleaning."

Emi nods then leaves.

"What will happen to us, your majesty?" Beth asks.

"You are going to be living here with me and Emi." I tell her. I see Tilly rise a brow.

"Benny too?"

"Benny too. Both of you. I am your queen, so it is my responsibility to care for you until you are grown up. There will be rules to follow and chores. Did your ma and pa have you do chores?"

"Yes, they did. What kind of chores?"

"You will help serve the meals, wash dishes, clean your room, if Tilly needs help you can help her. There will also be schooling, you and Benny will learn to read, write and do sums."

"Ma started to teach me to read and write. What are sums?"

"Numbers and their use. Counting coins, things like that." Beth nods.

Emi followed by Molly enter the kitchen. "Molly would you and Emi goto the attic and see if you can find a few clothes to fit these children, if they are a little big bring them anyway. Helen may be able to alter them to fit."

Emi and Molly leave, going up the stairs. "Tilly is there another tub the size of your wash tub available?"

"Yes there is, one moment." She goes to the store room, returning shortly carrying a tub about three feet in diameter and 18 inch deep. There are rope handles, one on either side. She lays it on the floor near the table. "There you go."

"Have you been introduced to my wards, Tilly?"

"Not officially."

"Tilly may I introduce Beth and her brother Benny. Beth, Benny this is Tilly, the cook here at the palace."

"Hello Beth, Benny, welcome to the palace."

"Hello Tilly," they say together. Beth asks, "What's a ward?"

"When a person takes a child that is not their own under their protection, the child become that persons ward. I have taken you under my protection so you are my wards."

"Are you our mama now?" ask Benny.

"Yes, I'm your mama now. Is that all right with you?"

He nods his head. I look at Beth. "Is it all right with you also, Beth?"

Instead of answering me she hugs my waist, burying her face in my stomach. I kneel, giving her a hug and a kiss on the cheek. Looking at Benny, I reach out to him, he comes to me, we all hug.

Letting them go, I stand, looking at them. Beth's head is below my ribs, Benny at my waist. Beth could wear one of my short chemise as a dress though it would be too big around but the length would be right. Benny could wear one of my short tunics. Small clothes would be a problem but not much of one for now.

"You wait here a minute, I need to get someone, I'll be right back." Stepping out to the atrium I rise my voice,"Christina, come here please."

"Your majesty." She comes from Sophia's room.

"Could you come give me a hand, please. I'll be in the kitchen." Stepping back into the kitchen, I wait for her.

When she comes through the kitchen door, she stops, staring at the children. "Christina may I introduce you to my wards, Beth and Benny. Beth, Benny this Christina, one of my maids." They greet each other.

"Would you help me carry this tub to my room, Christina." She leans down, taking one of the handles then lifting as I do. "Come along children."

Christina and I carry the tub up the stairs, turning it on edge to get up the narrow stairway. When we get to the top, we stop. I light a candle which I hand to Beth asking her to lead the way to the corner room. Beth, holding Benny's hand leads us to my room then holds the door open for us. After laying the tub in the middle of the room, I take the candle from Beth, with a thank you, then light another candle. Opening the door to my bed chamber I light a few more candles there then have Beth hold the door as Christina and I carry the tub in.

Picking up the pitchers, I hand one to Christina, taking the other myself. "Children, if you need to use the chamber pot, please do so. Christina and I will be right back, we are going to the kitchen and will return soon."

I lead Christina back to the kitchen, where we fill the pitchers then return to my rooms. Benny is using the chamber pot as Beth washes up. We pour the pitchers into the tub, I hand mine to Beth telling her to follow Christina down to the kitchen to get another pitcher full. As we had brought both hot and cold water the water in the tub is the warm.

"Time for a bath, Benny, come here, please." He come to me, standing next to the tub. I take his clothes off, throwing them in the clothes basket. I pick him up, set him down in the tub. Taking the cloth by the basin I wet and soap the it. Then cup my hands, dipping water onto Benny. "Oh, that feels good, nice and warm." Soaping my hands I start rubbing them all over him, covering him with soap. Taking the cloth I start scrubbing. The water is soon muddy grey. Christina and Beth have returned so I have Christina mix some water for me in the basin. I then pour some of this over Benny's head, wetting his hair. I start scrubbing his hair, rubbing his scalp, he moans. I finish him by pouring the remainder of the water in the basin over his head, rinsing him off. Standing I pickup a towel, opening it up I wrap him up in it. I stand him on the chest, rubbing him dry. When I finish I wrap him up again, laying him on the bed.

Looking at the water in the tub, I tell Christina,"Go to Sophia's room and bring her pitcher, please." As she leaves I pour the water from the pitchers into the basins, emptying them. Then I start dipping the water from the tub into the pitchers filling them both. When Christina returns I have her take them out and dump them. After pouring the last of the water into the empty pitcher, I have Beth come to me. I remove her cloths then stand her in the tub where I pour a little water over her head, wetting her down. Soaping her head I start scrubbing her hair and giving her a scalp massage. She moans like her brother when I do that. Soaping my hands, I start scrubbing her body then use the cloth on her. Pouring the basin over her to rinse her at the end. Taking another towel I wrap her up too, placing her on the edge of the bed. I start drying her, starting with her hair.

Christina has returned and left twice, each time taking a pitcher of dirty water. I pause drying Beth to refill the pitchers with the contents of the tub. When Christina returns I tell her that is the last pitcher full.

Opening my wardrobe, I take out one of my short tunics. I have Beth stand, arms over her head slipping the tunic down over her. It is about twice too big around. I take one of the scarves out, wrapping it around her, tying it in front, lapping the tunic so it doesn't flop about. "I'm sorry but this is all I have for you to wear right now, we will find something better for you."

She hugs me, saying this is good for now.

Benny has fallen asleep so I let him be for now. Taking Beth by the hand I lead her out to the balcony, intending to show her the palace. When I get there I see Eliza, Helen and Sophia enter the atrium from the garden, is it that late. I glace at the sky, yes, it's noon. Leading Beth down the stairs we goto the kitchen where they had gone.

"Good afternoon ladies, I have someone for you to meet." Standing Beth in front of me, "This is Beth, Beth these are my friends, Eliza, Helen and Sophia." As I say their name, I point to each of them. "I have made Beth and her little brother my wards."

"Wards? What have you been up to now, Rufina?" Helen asks.

"It's quite a tale, which I will tell at dinner. But for now please welcome her." In my head I tell Sophia a Cliff notes version of this morning.

Sophia steps forward, takes Beth into a hug, whispering something in her ear. Beth hugs her back, starting to cry. Sophia stares into her eye for a minute, Beth wipes her eyes then smiles at Sophia. "Thank you Sophia." Is all she says.

"Where is the brother?" asks Helen.

"He fell asleep after his bath so I let him sleep, he has had a rough morning."

Sophia leads Beth out to the table, the rest of us following. As I exit the kitchen, Emi and Molly exit the stairway carrying a couple of large bundles.

"We found a chest full of children's clothes Rufina. Where do you want them?"

"Molly, I'll take that, you go introduce yourself to Beth. Emi come with me. Were there small clothes too?"

"Yes, all types of clothes, we brought some of them all."

We meet Christina at the door to my rooms, "Thank you for the help Christina. You can go down for dinner if you wish. Emi and I can finish here." Taking the bundles in to my chamber, I lay mine on the bed, opening it up. These are mostly girls clothes. There are a couple skirts, tunics and a blouse. There are several pair of drawers and two chemise. Emi open her bundle revealing three pair of trousers, three shirts and three pair of drawers.

Leaning over Benny, I kiss his cheek saying, "Benny, time to wake up." He stretches, sitting up. His looks scared for a second then remembers me. "Is it morning mama?"

"No, it's time for dinner but first you need to get dressed so stand up, please." He stands up. "That's a good boy." Taking one of the pair of drawers I have him step into them. After pulling them up I tie the string, they are baggie but that's drawers for you. Holding the trousers for him he steps into them. Emi holds the shirt as he puts his arm into the sleeves. I do the frogs up the front then tuck the shirt tails into the trousers then doing the frogs on them. Gathering him into my arms I give him a hug. "You are a good boy. Now down you go." I set him on the floor.

Looking over the girls clothes, I pickup a pair of drawers, a chemise and a tunic. I fold these into a bundle. Emi is smiling watching Benny as he runs around the room looking at everything. I toss the towel that Benny had be wrapped in into the basket of dirty clothes. Christina had emptied the tub and gotten rid of most of the water, so I pulled the towel back out of the basket and wiped the tub out, getting the last of the water. Laying Beth's clothes in the tub, I call to Emi to come help carry it then to Benny, "Come along Benny, let's go have dinner. Will you hold the door, please."

He runs over to the door, slowly pulling it open, it's a job for a little boy like him. Emi and I lift the tub, going out to the balcony and down the stairs. We take it to the storeroom where Emi leads me to where it belongs, Benny following along. Once the tub is put away, we go to the dining room. The others are all seated waiting for us.

Walking up behind Beth I lean over and whispered, "I have some clothes for you, come with me, please." As she gets up I place Benny in her chair, "Everyone, this is Benny, Please introduce yourselves to him." Taking Beth by the hand I lead her to the study, closing the door behind us. Going behind the desk after laying the bundle on it, I untie the scarf from around her middle then remove the tunic. Holding the draws for her so she can step into them, then pulling the chemise over her head. They fit quite well. Next the tunic goes over her head. It comes to her knees, just right. Putting the scarf back around her as a belt, she's ready. "Is that better?"

"Yes, thank you." She hugs me.