1318 - Welcome Back, Love
CW: Occasional mentions of last year's famine, death and funerals.
Byrhtnoth awoke to the sight of fluffy snowflakes falling from the grey sky outside his boarded window. He pulled his linen bed cover over himself a little tighter as he felt a rush of frosty air whistle through the cracks and tried to warm up a little before rising out of bed. Memories of last night danced in his mind and he gazed over to the other side of the home where Linyeve still slept.
It felt amazing and comforting to have his daughter home. He thought it was perfect timing that as soon as he got dressed on his end of the home he saw Linyeve stretch the sleep out of herself in bed on the other end. They gave each other a short wave and met downstairs.
They were both a little groggy from the frost outside but Byrhtnoth didn't mind it one bit as he relished the familiar silence between himself and his daughter. Linyeve had made a batch of salted beef and onion stew which she told her father to enjoy for the next few days. The bowls let off bountiful steam as it swirled around in front of their faces and they chewed every bite with care.
"Thanks again for staying the night, my love," began Byrhtnoth as he finished up his meal. "It's a real shame that you must go back to the castle but I hope to see you back home soon."
"Trust me, father, as much as I have enjoyed the busyness of the keep I have been longing for the farm life here again," admitted Linyeve. "Whether it's inherited or natural I think I will always feel at home among the fields and rivers rather than the city walls and tudor homes."
Byrhtnoth had a big smile plastered across his face from his daughter's comment. "Then I hope that King Sidgurd will approve your release from his castle very soon."
"Yes, let's pray for that." Linyeve stood up to clean the table and her father went to check on Osuald and Lavina. They had both woken up and met him with a loud "papa!" and he asked Linyeve to get some porridge made for the two of them.
The eldest family members spent the morning caring for the little ones and before they knew it they heard a knock on the door from the king's guard, here to collect Linyeve and take her back to her servant duties. They discussed what she would say to the king to come to an agreement to her release back to the Chapman stead and they sealed their conversation with a tight hug. Byrhtnoth watched his daughter saddle up onto the horse and gallop away through the snow and hills that surrounded their home.
Although he had little Lavina and Osuald to care for and entertain Byrhtnoth felt alone again. When he was deep in his chores he would find himself crying again and again, the loss of his daughters and wife hitting him like a boulder to his heart. He scrubbed the dirty laundry in the wash basin and reminisced on his wife's caring touch and he gazed upon the paintings Eddida created that hung around the home and missed them incredibly. He knew only time would heal his hurt and so he took it day by day to recover from his losses.
His horses were beginning to get old also, with Beauty and Greyson developing some grey hairs and starting to move around slower. He knew they still had a few years left in them but made sure to let their elder bodies get the rest they needed. Their mutual foal, Gloria, was the feisty one now with the energy of her parents combined.
Frank came around to the home one March day and brought over Shavonne who had celebrated her first birthday already. Byrhtnoth's voice shook when he talked to her and tears welled in his eyes as she looked the spitting image of Pipa, with her wavy blonde hair and arched nose. Frank shared the tears with him yet they laughed through the twinge of grief and relished this moment with Pipa's surviving offspring.
The food supply was running low in the Chapman home again and during Frank's visit Byrhtnoth asked if he could stay a few hours to mind his children along with Shavonne so he could go on a short fishing trip. He agreed and promised to keep the little ones safe and entertained and so Byrhtnoth saddled up Beauty and made his way to the sea to catch his next dinner.
Although he could have ridden Gloria and made it to the Praaven sea much quicker he wanted to spend time with his one true steed, Beauty, and also reminisce on his youthful days of traveling the lands together. The snow was beginning to melt across the fields but portions of white still clung to the soil below them. Once he arrived he let Beauty roam near the salty water and he had a successful day of catching many bass and cod which he sold a small portion while keeping the rest for himself and his family.
His summer was spent helping his little ones grow and occasionally meeting with Frank to share some parenting moments with their youngest. Osuald was now at a full talking age and was getting taller every week but he was still far from being ready to take on any responsibilities. He was growing up to be a very social and kind boy as he loved to share and play with his little sister and sometimes even his cousin, Shavonne.
The weather had definitely improved since last year but Praaven was still a long way away from being as prosperous as it once was. The river banks returned to their usual sizes and many surviving farms were able to cultivate wheat, vegetables and other crops on their land. The Chapman farm was still bogged down and with Byrhtnoth's single parent life for the time being he decided to leave their field dormant during 1318.
He still couldn't shirk his responsibility of delivering produce to the royal family and so, when Frank watched over Osuald and Lavina again, he made his way to the keep. The other few times during the year he had met with the royal advisor to hand over any fish he could spare but this autumn month he was met by King Sidgurd himself.
It was great to reacquaint outside of the settings of a funeral and it was confirmed by the king himself that Praaven was returning to normalcy. He hadn't seen Sidgurd now that he was ordained King of Praaven and he was in awe of the royal blue clothes he wore, along with his intricate crown he inherited from his late father and the weapons he wore on his belt.
There had still been a few casualties from the famine that passed but many of which fell to illnesses caused by their weakened and hungry immune systems. Another piece of news that the king announced to Byrhtnoth was that Linyeve was free from her servant duties as of their time of speaking and she was to accompany him home on his horse.
"She was an immense help and a great pleasure to have in the castle," shared King Sidgurd. "But I understand you need the help more than ever, with your two little children at home. I extend my gratitude and sympathy to your family and I hope you can prosper once more."
Linyeve came running out into the hall in that moment and was swept up into Byrhtnoth's arms. King Sidgurd watched on with happiness as he witnessed the father daughter reunion and excused himself once she was ready to go. They arrived home at sundown and Frank was delighted to see her also before packing up his belongings and venturing home with Shavonne in his arms.
The end of autumn saw an early frost introduce itself into the land again and before they knew it snow fell to the ground once more. Linyeve's return to the farm made Byrhtnoth's life much easier as they balanced caring for the toddlers between the two of them. He was free to go fishing more often and had full trust in his maturing fifteen year old daughter to care for her siblings with love.
And she did just that. She was so incredibly sad to leave her family behind when her father sent her away to work and live in the castle but she was eternally grateful that Byrhtnoth looked out for her wellbeing. Out of all of the women in her family she was the only one that remained, and Lavina of course but she was just a little girl.
She held them close and tried to deliver the same warmth and love that Olyff would have given them. Her two siblings were old enough to not rely on milk anymore which made feeding a much easier task to do. As they didn't have their cows anymore it was tricky to acquire milk nowadays and talks of a bovine disease was spreading through the town.
One evening, while Byrhtnoth was still away on a fishing trip, Linyeve went outside to feed the horses. As she approached the stables she noticed a familiar boy standing near their abandoned cow shed and her stomach dropped once she recognised him. His name was Christopher and he was a squire to King Sidgurd's uncle who also resided inside the castle walls.
He approached her as he shouted her name and she froze in place, unsure what to do. He stopped dead in his tracks with a stomp of his boot and he raised his voice at her,
"So you're just the lowest form of peasant here, aren't you? I heard that you were sent back home but I didn't think you lived that far from the castle." He waved his hands in her face and she leaned back in shock.
"What's this got anything to do with you? Why in the hells did you seek me out here?!" she barked back.
"I enjoyed your company anytime I was around, was that not obvious? Now it makes me sick that I wasted my time with a peasant like you."
"I could say the same! What lowlife chases someone down just to tell them they're not good enough for them? I wish I never knew you... get off of my land!"
"Gladly." He crossed his arms and looked her up and down before storming off, glancing over his shoulder one last time. Nothing romantic or frisky ever happened between her and Christopher but it was exciting for her to socialise with a boy who was her age and of a higher class, and at the time, he seemed very inclined in knowing her better. She was glad her father wasn't home to witness that and she decided to never tell him that this ever happened.
Linyeve had missed her father's fish stew oh so dearly and when the weather was at its coldest she loved to share a meal with her father. As the winter months fully rolled in and the ponds froze over the Chapmans spent their time indoors. Byrhtnoth was grateful to see that his youngest were still growing up strong and without any issues and spent as much time with them as possible. Linyeve childishly suggested another pillow fight and her father agreed, sometimes getting Osuald involved with a little cushion.
And in December the family decided to have another gift giving party. This was the first one they had since the famine and the passing of many of their family members so they all expected some tears to be shed. They all gathered in the Chapman home and stayed near the fire, sitting on benches and stools as they each took turns to open presents.
Frank arrived with Shavonne and his mother Catherine and they didn't expect any more visitors for the evening. The little ones all played around the tudor doll house and Linyeve looked upon them with nostalgia and a pain in her heart as she remembered playing with that very same dollhouse with Eddida, rest her soul.
They all received gifts from one another that matched their interests with Byrhtnoth receiving a newly sewn satchel to take on his fishing journeys and Linyeve receiving some new olive coloured dresses along with some handcrafted jewellery. Byrhtnoth wrapped a gift for Frank which was a bundle of old children's clothes to dress Shavonne in and he was incredibly thankful for the thoughtful gifts.
Byrhtnoth looked upon Frank with pride. He may not have been his son but he was the father to his grandchild, his only grandchild, and he was managing amazingly. He may have been receiving help in parenting from his mother but not having your loving partner to help with everything takes a toll on you and he seemed to be managing his grief very well.
He also continued to express to Linyeve how happy he was to have her home and everyone was happy for the family. Frank questioned how different life was between here and the castle and Linyeve wasn't shy to include all the finest details of being a servant in the castle.
Once all of the presents were opened Linyeve and Catherine went into the kitchen to prepare a family meal. As soon as they were using their ladle to serve a portion of stew to each member of the family they heard some galloping and then a knock on the door. To their surprise it was King Sidgurd!
He explained that he chatted to Father Bruceus not too long ago and was alerted of their gathering to which he had the time to go to. They all welcomed him with open arms and invited him to share a meal with them.
"I have never eaten outside of the castle walls, if I'm honest," chuckled the King, "but I would love to see how you nourish yourselves! Thank you so much."
Although Byrhtnoth knew King Sidgurd for several years now and their alliance was strong he continued to apologise for the state of his home and for any informalities compared to the King's usual routine for dinner. He waved off his apologies and highly enjoyed the meal he was offered, complimenting the girls on their fine cooking.
"I think you have clearly learned a thing or two in your time at the castle, Linyeve!" winked the King and Linyeve smiled back.
They all spent the evening trading stories and simply enjoying one another's company and reflected on how difficult the famine had been for them all. King Sidgurd listened to them all with great attention and was shocked to hear what they all had to go through. They all left on a high note as they sang some songs by the fire and before they knew it it was dark outside.
The party was a success and they all reminisced on it as the year came to a close. Byrhtnoth shared with his eldest daughter that she was to be marrying soon but she confided that she wasn't anywhere close to ready,
"I can't leave the home yet, father. Osuald and Lavina are still so young, I don't want you to become the housewife you're not meant to be!"
"Don't worry about me, Liny. Let's give it a year or so more then, perhaps you will meet your prince charming in that time." They chuckled at his comment and gathered the tots for a bath.
The last night of 1318 was nice and still, not a single snowflake fell from the sky and the sky was littered with sparkling stars. The Chapmans had become optimistic once more and although they missed their fallen relatives more and more each day they still had something worth fighting for at home.
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