Whilst she was holding the boy and talking to him, the King had stopped and the whole crowd were staring at what was happening.
King Ajax looked around.
“Where is the mother or father of this small boy?”
Two soldiers parted to allow a woman through.
She was obviously poor but she had a clean smiling face.
The King held out his hand to her and as she took it, she made a rather clumsy curtsy.
“What is your little boy’s name?” he asked.
“Norhis – Your Majesty,” she managed to say.
The King turned towards Valona and took the little boy from her arms.
He held him up high and called out in a loud voice, which the people below could hear,
“This little boy is Norhis and he signifies in himself everything the Queen and I intend to do for our country. We want for Norhis and all Larissian
