"Tobin, lace your boots before you trip yourself. And Mina, for the last time love, it's sweet of you to offer but I don't think our guest will be wanting to have mud cake while he's here. I'm sure he'll already have eaten breakfast. Children, quickly, to your places now! It's almost time. Gather around to greet our guest!"
For all of that morning, Aenysa Tieran had been shepherding the children up and about the Welcome Home, trying to finish preparations for the special occasion. Together theyhad dusted, swept, mopped, scrubbed, mended, and groomed, until every last surface and person was shining and spotless. The orphans wore their best smocks and Aenysa herself had donned one of the newer dresses she owned. It was rare but not unprecedented for a Knight of the Order to visit their humble abode and the entire building was fair buzzing with excitement.
Many of the children, being quite young and impressionable, saw Knighthood as a glorious and action packed profession. Others held deep felt respect for the Order because they had in one way or another been rescued by the Knights. None showed no interest, and all were eager to see who their visitor would be.
Meanwhile, Aenysa herself had more complex agendas in mind. Though she was normally cheerful, nurturing, and buoyant in personality, the woman was not the matron of this orphanage due to sheer luck and circumstance. Old Kevith had sent a kitchen worker from the Rearing Stallion to relay his message. Apparently, the retired Knight had been conversing with a young man who was deeply troubled and discovered the lad was not only a member of the Order, but also heavily drowning in regret for being unable to save a child he had been trying to protect.
As soon as Aenysa understood the situation, she had set the entire building to motion. The woman was no stranger to strife and loss; she was an orphan herself, having lost her parents to an accident that still remained vivid in her memories, and saw this as an opportunity to both help the young Knight mend and offer some form of a role model to the children.
Standing in a half circle around the front doors, the humble inhabitants of the Welcome Home waited for their guest. The moment they heard a knock one of the older children would open the door and everyone would greet the Knight in synchrony. Aenysa would be the first to shake his hand and welcome him in, but not before Mina offered her mud cake first.
"I made it myself, Mister," the lass of no more than six or so years would announce unabashedly in way of greeting. "Just for you. It's very good."
