The Sorceress's Chambers

"And now you are having." Kesi said. "Are you being tired jariri? You will have to share with Rosey tonight though, until I can be sorting a few things out."

"You are not having to worry about being warm now." Kesi said. She stood and went to one of her chests where she had a few shirts. "Here, I am knowing this is being too big for you, but I am needing to wash what you have."

Kesi chuckled, and rolled up the sleeves.

"Why would I be keeping the Kings clothes in my room?" She asked. "Is belonging to me."

She went to the bed and lifted the cover so that he could crawl up into it.

"We will be getting you something proper when I can."

Kesi tucked the bedding around him, and rechecked Rosey before deciding to find someone to help her, after all she needed a bed and having two orphans in it did make it harder to sleep in.

She made sure the two were definitely asleep before leaving the room and locking the door behind her.

Both children were still asleep, cuddled together in the bed. Gendry seemed well enough despite his small stature and malnutrition but Rosey's breathing was laboured. Kesi knew there was no guarantee of the girl's survival, even with medicine, warmth and good food. Yet both had a little more colour in their cheeks than she recalled from the streets.

Rosey woke but seemed groggy and she coughed a fair bit before she could swallow the potion. She stammered out thanks before sinking back into the bed.

Gendry stirred but did not wake.

It was a long night. Rosey woke several times, coughing, and sometimes she woke Gendry as well. And one time it was Gendry who woke them, thrashing and yelling as he suffered a nightmare that made him wake with tears on his cheeks though he was unable to explain it, perhaps through intense fear. But as Gendry drifted off to sleep, Rosey whispered, between coughing fits, that they had experienced terrible cruelties at the hands of a former employer, which had prompted them to flee onto the streets. Kesi realised that Gendry was too traumatised to speak of his experiences and perhaps it would be better to help him forget.

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Kesi returned from her trip to the White Tower via the kitchens where she got some soft rolls for the children.

She unlocked the door and entered, hoping that they were still sleeping and not noticed her absence.

Gendry looked at the clothes with suspicious eyes because he'd never worn anything clean before. Rosey, however, was enchanted, and though she was still weak and couldn't get out of bed for long, she stroked the fabrics in wonder.

Gendry was looking much better after only a few days, but he looked up at Kesi in confusion. "These clothes is too fancy for us. Won' they think I stole them?"

"Oh." But he was not convinced. "Won't I look like some lord dressed like that?"

His question was so ridiculous Rosey started to laugh, but it was broken off by a fit of coughing. Afterwards, she said weakly "Don't be silly. Them;'s servant clothes, is all. Lords has bright colours and things."

Gendry looked from his friend to his patroness. "Oh. What do I have to do when I wear them clothes?"

Rosey drank when she was told to do so and went quiet, simply nodding to save herself from coughing. But Gendry was livelier. "What kind of things? I never learned no things before."

This suggestion was met with some suspicion from both of them. "What's wrong with the Common Tongue?" Gendry asked. "Why'd I need to learn to write? Aint talking good enough?"