“Where is the statue?” Lester asked. 

“Up by Bedford Lane where they got them inns. You enjoy yourself.”

“Thanks.”

Lester waited for the guard to move on, but instead of following the directions Lester examined the decorated houses across the street. People passed by enjoying the company of friends and lovers. Children ran recklessly to the next attraction. Lester turned to the large vase of flowers set out by his neighbor and squatted down to shove his bouquet in with the rest when the blond snout of a dog clamped around the stems. It looked up with black playful eyes. 

Before he could pull the stems back the dog tore away the flowers from Lester’s hold and took off with a mouthful, purple blossoms shaking loose along the way. Lester blinked after it in confusion.

The dog near the center of the street paused. Looked back.

“Lucy!” a boy called after the dog.

The child was almost upon it when the dog took off again. Then Lester remembered something…those flowers…those were poisonous…right. He found himself running with the boy. 

“Lucy is a dumb dog,” Lester huffed as he pounded over cobbles to catch up. 

He saw the war memorial statue rising ahead as he followed towards the sprawling crowd, those who had come to see the sights and recall the war. He was forced to stop at the edge of the gathering and so did the dog a little further in. It looked to Lester and shook the flowers, sending destroyed blooms and snapped stems flying before it dropped the mess. Lester was out of breath and felt a little amazed. The boy who owned the dog pushed past to grab the canine’s collar and also turned to Lester. 

“I am so sorry,” the boy said. 

“Ah,” Lester sighed. “Just another day.”

“Um, do you need money for the flowers? I need to go find my sister so maybe I can give you my address to come collect.” 

“Oh, what’s your sister’s name?”

“Anna Charwell. And I’m Finnegan.”   

“Finnegan. I cannot leave anyone lost. How about we both look here since your dog may have a clue. I’ll take the far side and meet you in front of Green Apple Inn. I don’t look like much today, but I’m still a knight. See the crest is on my shoulder.”

Lester pulled his sleeve to make the unicorn crest of a white knight obvious.

“Ah. Ok,” Finnegan said. “I’ll start looking.” 

This was becoming an unexpected distraction from the statue, but he really could not leave a girl missing. Lester moved around the square looking for anyone who would fit the description of lost girl. Then he paused and looked at the statue. A bronze casting of three rearing horses mounted by heroes representing a common knight, a holy knight, and the magic casting lotus guild. Flowers were piled and tossed around the statue to honor loved ones lost, evoking the feeling of a shared grave.

“But you aren’t there, Keenin,” he said.

Small hands gripping his jacket 

distracted him. Pickpockets?

When he looked there was a young girl covered in a blue satin cloak with fur lining. She didn’t say a word, but her blue eyes gazed up and she looked sick. 

Thinking she was overheated in such a warm cloak he pulled back her hood.  

“Anna!” Finnigan called and pushed through the crowds to reach his sister. He put a hand on her forehead. “You're burning up. I said not to go out.”

The newly found Anna gripped Lester’s shirt. “I don’t feel well.” 

She sounded too weak to continue.

“Should I carry her?” Lester asked. 

“Would you?” Finnigan asked. He had his hands full holding his dog.

Lester knelt to the girl’s level. 

“May I carry you?”

She nodded and Lester gently scooped her into a princess carry.  He followed her brother through the streets and felt her shivering. 

“Running out on your own was stupid of you. What would our parents think?” Finnegan asked her. 

She tiredly buried her head against Lester’s arm. Then she turned to the sky and her hand made a fanning or  shooing motion. She mumbled something like ‘not now’. He paused and noticed a dead bird in their path and carefully stepped past. 

“The fair must have been hard to resist,” Lester commented in her defence.

“Ya, well she didn’t have to go get lost. If she wanted to see a holy night up close I would have found one. You would think I wasn’t good enough,” Finnagain said. 

“Is that right?”

“We're almost there.”

Lester followed to the castle and up a flight of steps. He realized that these children must have come from out of town and rented on the upper floor. Finigain knocked on one of the indistinct reddish doors. A maid opened it. 

“Thank goodness you found her,” the woman said. “Sir. I prepared a bed and more porridge and tea. Can you bring her to the room on the end?”

Lester did as instructed as the maid put her attention on the boy. 

“Young Fin, you need to put that dog out.”

“I just got her in,” he protested.  

Lester pulled back the covers of the bed to lay Anna down and handed her a glass of water that had been left on the bedside table.

“Just two sips for a good sleep.”

She reluctantly took the water in her small hands and took two gulps before handing it back. He left the glass on the side table and went to the window. 

“It’s a bit stuffy so I’m going to open this,” he explained. “Did you feel bad this morning?”

“No. An hour ago. I feel really tired.”

“Tired?”

He moved back and put the back of his hand against her forehead. It didn’t feel overly warm. Lester again handed her the water. 

“Can you drink more?”

Reluctantly, she accepted and took another sip. Finigan walked in carrying a teacup. 

“I brought your favorite honey lemon tea.”

“Hold off on the tea,” Lester told him. “I think she just got overheated and needs water.”

“Really, but Anna never drinks water.”

Lester looked back at Anna.

“I hear you are going to have a nice roast chicken dinner. If you're still in bed, I’ll have to recommend pea soup.”

Anna took an extra big gulp from the glass. Lester smiled and guided Finigan from the room. He quietly shut the door. 

“How did you know it would be roast chicken?” Finigan asked, amazed. 

“Isn’t it always?”

“Y-you're so cool,” Finagin said. “I see why Anna wanted to meet you.”

Lester saw the dog tied to a chair set in the corner of the main room, which was set for lunch. 

“Are your parents not here?”

“They couldn’t come.”

“And the other servants.”

“We hired a chaperone, but he had his own business.” 

That was odd. “So what are you going to do now? It’s still early.”

“I’ll stay around here.”

He sounded reluctant, and Lester was sure he was staying to watch out for his sister. 

“Do you want to play chess?” Lester offered.  

*

Lester was able to buy a set from one of the older guys on the street who was delighted to get twice what he paid for it and laughed that he would soon have one much nicer. 

The set was faded, with paint loosening from shoddy carved pieces, but it held a certain charm. It also matched Lester’s undoubtedly shoddy skill at the game. 

Finnegan spent a lot of time explaining the strategy. At some point, the maid set down cold meats and cheese for lunch and went out to get ingredients for dinner. 

The dog whined. Lester looked over.

“Why not let your dog loose? That spot can’t be very comfortable.”

 “Our maid Lucia doesn’t like the mud tracked in, but Lucy isn’t a bad dog. Not really.”

“I see. Or maybe it’s the resemblance in names.” 

“I didn’t think about that.”

A door creaked open and Anna came into the room. 

“Feeling better?” Lester asked. 

She looked between her brother and him as though wondering what he was still doing there. 

“I hate pea soup,” she finally said. 

She moved to untie the dog.

“Let’s go play in my room Lucy,” she told it. “The men have work to do.”

Then she retracted. 

“Anna likes to play dress up, sometimes our dog gets a makeover too,” Finnigan explained.

“Do you think she wants to go out?”

“Naw.” Finnigan made a move on the board. “She got her prince for the day.”

“I see,” Lester agreed. “But as her older brother do you think we could do better?”

And better they did. Lester brought in sweets from outside. Finnigan prepared the tea, and when ready, they knocked on Anna’s door. 

“Princess, we prepared you tea,” Lester announced. 

“And we bring only the finest company,” the brother called. 

Anna opened the door, showing off a newly woven braid. Lester was humored that the dog had gained a bow. 

“Fine, sir, treasured brother,” Anna said playing along. “Do find a seat.”

So they did. They took places on the floor and set out the tea and pastry. They tested each other with courtly-sounding questions such as “How goes thou business” and “My your hair looks fine”. 

At times answering in a serious tone and falling to much laughter.  

And finally Anna spoke about the sort of house she would have when she was a little older, how she would spoil certain servants and put ribbons around the old, scary portraits. As the food ran out, Anna leaned against her bed and looked out the window. Finnigan found interest in spinning a top and Lester relaxed back against the wall examining the painting of a lady smelling a delicate blossom.

“I should get going,” Lester told them.