Story for the New Year: The Orphanage

While King Alasdair is well known for his patronage to the orphans of Frewyn, his grandfather King Dorrin was a champion of children, adopting many and supporting still more. He makes a yearly visit to the orphanage in Diras to bring the children gifts for the holidays. Sometimes everything goes well during his visit, and sometimes not:

Presently, the church doors opened, and from the nave came the Reverend Mother, a few of the Brothers and Sisters, and two-train of hopping children behind the...