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Amy was lost. Or more to the point, her parents were. A sudden surge in the crowd had carried them away and out of sight. Amy busied herself for a few moments then headed to the tall oak tree nearby. They'd agreed to meet there if they got separated.
She'd been waiting for a short while when a shadow fell across her. It belonged to a smiling young man in the uniform of a Hussar officer.
“Good day fair madam.” He grinned “Aren't you awfully young to be out alone?”
“My parents said not to speak to strangers” Amy turned her head away.
“Wise parents you have, but...” He paused for a moment, tapping his chin thoughtfully “But if you don't speak to strangers, however will you make friends?”
Amy pouted. Although it was true that most of her friends had been strangers when they first met.
“I'll tell you what,” The man continued “We'll introduce ourselves. Then we won't be strangers any more, will that do?”
Amy saw the logic in that, and nodded.
“Well then!” The officer bowed with a flourish “I am his grace, Lord Simon Flash-Heart, and you my dear lady, must be the Princess Daisy?”
“Amy.” Amy corrected him. “Princess Amy.”
“Amy eh?” Flash-Heart frowned, looking suspicious “Are you sure it's not Daisy?”
“Amy Fairheart Klepp.” The girl folded her arms. “Quite sure. It's been my name all my life.”
“Well, Amy Klepp, that does somewhat ruin my trick.”
“Your trick?”
Flash-Heart produced a large daisy from his sleeve, offering it to the girl. “Good job I didn't take a long-shot and go pick up a Tulip.”
Amy smiled, taking the daisy and giving it a tentative sniff. “Daisy's a nice name. We had a cat named Daisy, till she got run over by a cart.”
“I'm sorry to hear that.” Flash-Heart shook his head sadly, arranged his sabre-tache and sat down on the curb next to the girl. “Why don't you get another one?”
“Well. I want one, but mum and dad say we can't afford one.”
“Nonsense!” Flash-Heart exclaimed, “You're practically surrounded by money.”
With a grin he reached behind her right ear, producing a large golden Stagg, dropping it into her hands. “See, just sticking around behind your ears.”
“That's just magic. There's not real money behind my ears.”
Flash-Heart laughed “More a trick than magic Princess Amy. But the coin is real enough. And yours.”
“For real?”
“For real.” He stretched his legs, watching the milling crowds of the market for a moment. “Tell me Princess Amy, what pet would you really like? Cat's are only ever fun when they're young. A pony perhaps?”
“A pony? I'm not a child. I'm nearly nine.” Amy folded her arms once more “I'm a proper princess and I want a princesses horse.”
“A big princesses war horse? Feathery fetlocks, long billowy mane, iron-shod hooves?”
“No, silly. A proper princesses horse. Slim and delicate and perfect for riding out in fancy clothes on.”
“Oh! And you'd want it in white I suppose?”
“It's called a grey. Not white.”
“And it has to be a grey?”
“Well, the knight is always the one on the white, grey, charger. I suppose a Princesses horse just has to look pretty.”
“Ah. I know the kind of animal you mean.” He thought for a moment “How about an exchange?”
“I've only got one Stagg” She held up the one he'd given her.
“Ah, dear Amy. Coins are so passe. A fair exchange, my horse.” He reached behind her ear again, producing a small light infused gem “For this little thing.”
Amy frowned at the gem, then at Flash-Heart. “Where's your horse?”
“My apologies, of course.” He pointed through the crowd to a nearby tethering post, where a tall, lean dark bay warmblood was tied. Its coat groomed to a gloss shine, and its harness was a matching livery to Flash-Heart. “That's her. A deal?”
Amy stared at the horse in awe, then looked back at Flash-Heart. “For real?”
“For real. Amy Fairheart Klepp, she is yours to keep for as long as she and you live, in exchange for this.” He held the gem up to the sun, forcing Amy to squint at its silhouette. “If you think it is a fair deal”
Amy turned from the harsh light and small gem to admire the exquisite horse, its fine tack and full saddle-bags. “Deal!”
“Perfect.” Flash-Heart closed his hand around the gem, dropping the reigns into Amy’s hands. “Amy Klepp, your parents are really going to be surprised.”
She'd been waiting for a short while when a shadow fell across her. It belonged to a smiling young man in the uniform of a Hussar officer.
“Good day fair madam.” He grinned “Aren't you awfully young to be out alone?”
“My parents said not to speak to strangers” Amy turned her head away.
“Wise parents you have, but...” He paused for a moment, tapping his chin thoughtfully “But if you don't speak to strangers, however will you make friends?”
Amy pouted. Although it was true that most of her friends had been strangers when they first met.
“I'll tell you what,” The man continued “We'll introduce ourselves. Then we won't be strangers any more, will that do?”
Amy saw the logic in that, and nodded.
“Well then!” The officer bowed with a flourish “I am his grace, Lord Simon Flash-Heart, and you my dear lady, must be the Princess Daisy?”
“Amy.” Amy corrected him. “Princess Amy.”
“Amy eh?” Flash-Heart frowned, looking suspicious “Are you sure it's not Daisy?”
“Amy Fairheart Klepp.” The girl folded her arms. “Quite sure. It's been my name all my life.”
“Well, Amy Klepp, that does somewhat ruin my trick.”
“Your trick?”
Flash-Heart produced a large daisy from his sleeve, offering it to the girl. “Good job I didn't take a long-shot and go pick up a Tulip.”
Amy smiled, taking the daisy and giving it a tentative sniff. “Daisy's a nice name. We had a cat named Daisy, till she got run over by a cart.”
“I'm sorry to hear that.” Flash-Heart shook his head sadly, arranged his sabre-tache and sat down on the curb next to the girl. “Why don't you get another one?”
“Well. I want one, but mum and dad say we can't afford one.”
“Nonsense!” Flash-Heart exclaimed, “You're practically surrounded by money.”
With a grin he reached behind her right ear, producing a large golden Stagg, dropping it into her hands. “See, just sticking around behind your ears.”
“That's just magic. There's not real money behind my ears.”
Flash-Heart laughed “More a trick than magic Princess Amy. But the coin is real enough. And yours.”
“For real?”
“For real.” He stretched his legs, watching the milling crowds of the market for a moment. “Tell me Princess Amy, what pet would you really like? Cat's are only ever fun when they're young. A pony perhaps?”
“A pony? I'm not a child. I'm nearly nine.” Amy folded her arms once more “I'm a proper princess and I want a princesses horse.”
“A big princesses war horse? Feathery fetlocks, long billowy mane, iron-shod hooves?”
“No, silly. A proper princesses horse. Slim and delicate and perfect for riding out in fancy clothes on.”
“Oh! And you'd want it in white I suppose?”
“It's called a grey. Not white.”
“And it has to be a grey?”
“Well, the knight is always the one on the white, grey, charger. I suppose a Princesses horse just has to look pretty.”
“Ah. I know the kind of animal you mean.” He thought for a moment “How about an exchange?”
“I've only got one Stagg” She held up the one he'd given her.
“Ah, dear Amy. Coins are so passe. A fair exchange, my horse.” He reached behind her ear again, producing a small light infused gem “For this little thing.”
Amy frowned at the gem, then at Flash-Heart. “Where's your horse?”
“My apologies, of course.” He pointed through the crowd to a nearby tethering post, where a tall, lean dark bay warmblood was tied. Its coat groomed to a gloss shine, and its harness was a matching livery to Flash-Heart. “That's her. A deal?”
Amy stared at the horse in awe, then looked back at Flash-Heart. “For real?”
“For real. Amy Fairheart Klepp, she is yours to keep for as long as she and you live, in exchange for this.” He held the gem up to the sun, forcing Amy to squint at its silhouette. “If you think it is a fair deal”
Amy turned from the harsh light and small gem to admire the exquisite horse, its fine tack and full saddle-bags. “Deal!”
“Perfect.” Flash-Heart closed his hand around the gem, dropping the reigns into Amy’s hands. “Amy Klepp, your parents are really going to be surprised.”