Over her shoulders, falling to below her waist, was a cloud of red-gold hair that seemed to reflect the sunshine and give it a glimmer of fire.

In front of her Rupert riding a wooden horse was brandishing a sword.

“You are now my Knight,” Lord Dorrington heard Alyna say in a soft voice. “And you must go forth, slay the ogre and rescue us all.”

“I’ll do that! “ Rupert said eagerly.

He was wearing on his head a helmet made of paper and he had a breastplate of cardboard tied at his back with ribbons.

“I will give you my favour,” Alyna said, holding out a small white handkerchief. “You really should wear it in your helmet, but perhaps it will be easier for you to tuck it into your breastplate.”

With some difficulty Rupert managed this.

Then Alyna prompted,

“You bow to the King, say ‘to the Glory of St. George and England!’ and gallop off to kill the ogre.”

“I wants to kill the ogre,” Ivan cried enviously.

“You shall kill him when Rupert returns,” Alyna replied.

“To the glory of St. George and England!” Rupert shouted, waving his sword.

Then he galloped away between the trees while Ivan struggling on Alyna’s lap cried again,

“I wants to kill the ogre! I wants to kill him!”

“You shall kill him as soon as Rupert will lend you his horse,” Alyna promised.

“It appears the Royal stables are sadly depleted,” Lord Dorrington remarked, stepping towards them.

Alyna gave a little cry of surprise while Ivan scrambling down from her lap called out with glee.

“Uncle Ulric, I’m a King! Do you see I’m a King?”

His crown had fallen off in the excitement and Lord Dorrington, bending down to pick him up in his arms, said quite solemnly,

“I am delighted to meet you, Your Majesty.”

Rupert, who had just seen his uncle, came running back.

“I’m a Knight Errant, Uncle Ulric and I’m killing an ogre to save Aunt Alyna.”

Lord Dorrington looked at Alyna with a smile.

“You have become a relative, I hear.”

“They have adopted me,” she answered.

“Uncle Ulric, I have a real pony now,” Rupert said insistently, “but I don’t have a whip and Mama said I was not to ask you for one.”

“You have not asked me,” Lord Dorrington replied, “but I think if you look in the hall you will find that a packet of sugar almonds have appeared there quite mysteriously.”

“Sugar almonds!” both the children cried at once.

Lord Dorrington put Ivan on his feet.

Then as they both turned to run back to the house Rupert said to Alyna,

“You will read us the story about the Knight Errant before we go to bed.”

“Of course I will,” Alyna answered him.

“You promise?” Rupert insisted.

“I promise.”

“Is it a very special story?” Lord Dorrington enquired.