1323 - A Fruitful Year
In the depths of Praaven's winter a birthday was celebrated. Byrhtnoth's one and only living son was to celebrate ten years of life, a moment the widowed father thought he would never see in his days. Although he celebrated each one of his children's great milestones the best he could he put extra effort into this one. He may not be a lord or a king but his son was to inherit his land and so he made his heir feel mighty special that day.
They decided to celebrate peacefully, no guests, just the residents of the Chapman stead. Linyeve was considered as a guest yet she was coming to the end of her pregnancy and with one child lost she didn't want to risk losing another, especially to the bitter frost across the land.
Lavina grew quite competent with her baking skills and took it upon herself to prepare the birthday cake for her elder brother. It was the typical tradition, a moist honey cake, but she experimented with throwing in some dried strawberries into the mix and it turned out just decadent. The small family gathered around the cake adorned with bright beeswax candles and watched Osuald make a wish.
And with that he was officially ten years old. He had really grown into his height this winter, a sudden growth spurt surprising the lot of them. With this growth new clothes were needed for his developing body and Byrhtnoth took it upon himself to trade some of his produce for linens inside the Praaven walls. Yet with the winter Osuald also needed a woven jumper, made out of the finest sheep's wool they could afford. Osuald was plenty thankful for his father's gifts but was reminded that this was not all he was to receive!
Before the cake was to be had Byrhtnoth escaped outside and glanced into the abandoned cow shed where he had been hiding the greatest present he had for his son: a sparkling new horse saddle. Osuald was floored with this gift and went to stroke the fine leather, smooth under his fingertips. He thanked his father with a hearty embrace and Byrhtnoth reciprocated.
Osuald was eager to ride Gloria with his newly acquired accessory but was reined in by his father to enjoy some cake before he attempted his first horse ride. He sighed but smiled, he was aware that the frost outside would only make horse riding more difficult to learn, and besides he hadn't had breakfast yet!
With each bite Lavina kept asking what her family thought of the cake and was met with constant praise. She was so ecstatic that her dried fruit experiment was successful and raved on about her passions of baking. The birthday celebration was a success and the evening finished with a warm mulled wine by the fire that night.
In the months that followed Byrhtnoth taught his son how to approach, mount and direct a horse and the teachings were slow. Lavina enjoyed watching from afar and felt like she would never have the drive to learn how to ride a horse... her legs worked just fine and the massive animals always spooked her a little. She still fed them on occasion but kept her distance.
And in the middle of February news broke that Linyeve gave birth to a baby daughter! A funny story accompanied the news as her water broke while she was walking home from Mahlsberg and a local man went into a panic as he walked behind her.
The birth went as smoothly as a birth can be with the help of the midwife once more and the Dodson pair continued their tradition of their children's names and called their newborn February. The birth was bittersweet for Linyeve as she was still recovering from the loss of baby January just last year but vowed to herself to protect her new daughter at whatever cost.
As soon as the temperatures began to increase the work had begun. With two sets of strong hands on the fields Byrhtnoth felt confident enough to sow more seeds into his field than ever before. The seasons had been gracious to Praaven ever since the great famine several years back and the patriarch wanted to take advantage of this weather while he had the chance.
While the weather was still not at its most stable Lavina found herself selling her baked goods indoors, with the grace of the city merchants lending her a table when the rain turned the city roads to muck. She stood indoors and rubbed her hands together, warming up from the occasional breeze that was sent her way and that's when she saw her.
A princess, she thought at first, but her face seemed too familiar. This little girl donned a vermillion coloured gown with speckles of gold in the mix and wore her hair in a curious curl. Lavina hadn't ever been too up close to royalty before so she was unaware of what was fashionable inside the castle walls but she liked the look. It was only when she saw her uncle Frank walk inside and get close and intimate with the young girl did the puzzle pieces click in her mind. It was Shavonne!
She watched her niece giggle to what another city girl was sharing with her and they spoke in hushed tones yet remaining polite and proper. Lavina stood gawking at the decorated girl until Frank appeared at her table to greet her. She had so many questions for her uncle yet none of them seemed to want to be formed into a sentence and so she just swallowed her thoughts and asked the usual "how are you faring?"
Before Lavina knew it she had to pack on up and venture home before it was too dark. She bid her uncle farewell and plucked the courage to at least extend a hello to her, now royal, niece to which she found a sour response.
"Do I know you?" asked Shavonne and Lavina's heart sank.
"We're, um... we're related. Your mother was my sister."
"I never met my mother." So blunt and cold, Lavina wanted out of this discussion and excused herself with her bundle of remnant scones and bread. She waved her uncle one last goodbye and ventured home with a slightly quicker pace than usual.
That same day, once the chores on the farm were complete, Byrhtnoth was ready to share a horse ride with his son. They both saddled their horses and Osuald vibrated with excitement. He had ridden Gloria a few paces from the farm and back but never on a proper journey; it was simply exhilarating!
He made his feet comfortable in the stirrup and waited for his father to lead the way, he didn't exactly know where they were to ride yet. Byrhtnoth clicked his tongue and gently kicked Beauty into action and Osuald followed with Gloria in pursuit.
They took it slow, due to Beauty's age and to steady Osuald into his first horse ride, but they made their way to the small pond to fish not far from their home. To their dismay a bit of rain drenched their hair during their journey but nothing to cry about... yet.
Once at their destination they dismounted smoothly with Osuald's foot only getting stuck slightly in one of the stirrups, he was getting better with each try. They let their steeds roam freely and drink from the pond and munch on the damp grass beneath them. Byrhtnoth pulled out their fishing rods and they spent a moment in solitude, man to man.
"The weather is said to be stable this year," began Byrhtnoth and he cast his line. "Men have been wrong before, of course, but there have been many signs from nature to signify another prosperous summer."
"It makes me happy to hear," smiled back Osuald. He was delighted to know that his father wouldn't stress over food this year again. Even though he was only a baby when the last famine happened he remembers sparks of hunger from his early years, but those sparks weren't bright enough to bloom into trauma. His older sister, however, would tell gruesome stories of what happened in Praaven those years and always justified her storytelling as being a history lesson, which Osuald honestly admired her for doing.
"Pay attention this year, my boy," continued Byrhtnoth, "our farm is destined to be yours when I am to pass so learn well on how to manage it when I am not around any longer." He turned to face his son who wore a slightly concerned expression. "Not soon, of course, but no man can run from death... it comes for us all eventually."
The sun fell to the horizon faster than they had expected and Osuald was quite overjoyed with it as he didn't particularly want to stick around for any other grim conversations. They mounted their horses once more and made their way home with Osuald riding his steed with confidence.
When they arrived home they found Lavina on a stepping stool leaning over the cauldron in the kitchen. She giggled a little when her family stepped foot into the home and announced,
"I'm making leek and carrot soup!"
Byrhtnoth wanted to scold her for playing with fire while he was out of the home but the scrumptious smell was far too appealing for his hungry stomach and so he just helped her plate up the dish and ask how her day had been.
The duties on the farm were never shirked for as long as the sun beamed high in the sky. Osuald saw that his father was right, with every day that got them closer to summer the rising temperatures warmed the air and with it helped their crops prosper. He continued to water and weed the plants on the farm while paying close attention to his father's technique.
He really admired his father, he always has, but even more so now that he was nearing his formative years. He gazed upon him and relished in his manly gestures and made wishes to be just like him when he was an adult. He wanted to follow in his footsteps of providing all he can for his future family and to never let them come into harms way to the best of his abilities. Byrhtnoth caught his son staring and smiling and smiled back.
And inside Lavina fulfilled her womanly duties, scrubbing the tables when they got dirty, washing the plates and making the bedding. This summer her father promised her to show how to wash their clothing in the wash basin outside and although she wasn't madly enthusiastic about more things to clean she was always willing to learn something new.
In between all of her chores she continued to be a growing child as when she was making her own bed she bit down on her tongue by accident and felt a milk tooth come loose. She yelped and spat the tooth out, putting a hand over her aching mouth and recoiling at the sight of a lightly bloodied tooth in between her small fingers. It wasn't the first time she had a tooth fall out but this one was by far the most painful of the bunch.
Osuald began to greatly look forward to a steamy bath after his great labour on the fields. He and his father had built another bath over the winter to place in the shed on their farm and so he took the liberty of using the new bath while his father bathed in the one inside their farmhouse. The hot water relaxed his tense muscles, soothing his fingers from picking at weeds and warming his back after hunching over their crops. What a glorious reward for a task so important.
Even with Osuald's responsibilities on the farm he continued to take charge in feeding the horses and cleaning the stables. He had gotten better at spotting the corners he missed compared to previous years but his father still relieved him of the smelly duty when he felt the boy needed a break. Osuald felt complete with horses to care for in his life.
With summer in full swing there were many days when the Chapman stead lay dormant. They had a few more brushes with thieves attempting to ransack their home while they were out but Byrhtnoth invested in some locks from the local blacksmith and made sure to hide his most valuable items in places no thief could think of checking.
Regardless of the occasional mishap Byrhtnoth took pride in bringing his son fishing with him, it had almost become a tradition now. Lavina still had a strong enthusiasm for selling her baked goods and she stayed safe when she did so, so Byrhtnoth continued to encourage her passions.
During King Sidgurd's reign he showed his support for the working class folk of Praaven and invested in a new fishing spot, man made yet connecting to the river, making it easier and more comfortable for certain men to fish for their families, and for the royals too. The Chapmans were one of which families to be granted the permission to use these waters and so Byrhtnoth rode on a horse with Osuald behind him to visit the new spot.
Over the rolling, dusty paths the man and boy made their way through Tovar, waving to August as they saw him working in his field by their home, and exiting the village to ride for another thirty minutes or so. They stopped in their tracks once they saw the other fishermen, lures bobbing in the lapping waters loosely connected to the river. They let their horses roam freely nearby and joined in on the fishing.
They engaged in intermittent conversations, and even shared a few words with the other men fishing, but Osuald spent a majority of his time gazing upon Praaven's city walls in the distance. The walls looked so large, as if they were only a ten minute walk away, but the distance was large; it only showed Osuald how great of a town it is that they live near by. He wondered... would his family ever live beyond those walls?
But it was growing dark and Byrhtnoth had the hope of selling some of their catch at the fishmongers in Tovar before they travelled on home and that is exactly what they did. When mounting old Beauty she turned back slightly and shook her head, beckoning Byrhtnoth to give her a pet.
Even after her many years as a great work horse she still loved to be spoiled and loved by her owner and so he leaned over her and gave her a tight hug. She snorted in delight before he pulled away, pat her on her neck, and continued on home.
Lavina encountered her uncle Frank once again at the Praaven square. This time they were both outside, enjoying the summer sun, unlike their last meet. He approached her with a small girl in his arms, a girl Lavina had never seen before. They exchanged their greetings and Frank introduced his companion,
"Meet little Lady Marcia here," he spoke as he looked at the girl and held her hand to wave at his relative, "she is King Sidgurd's eldest child. We were just taking a stroll around the market to get some fresh air and then skip on home."
Marcia kept a strong stare with Lavina, her gaze unwavering, and Lavina was the first to look away. She thought that Marcia will have great royal control over those who try to wrong her when she is older. Lavina bowed gently to the royal highness nonetheless,
"It's a great pleasure to meet you, Lady Marcia. And how have you been, Frank?"
"Oh, much of the same." Lavina pondered... how could it be the same if he used to be a peasant boy? She didn't try question him however, it wasn't of great interest to her. Frank suddenly spoke up again,
"I apologise for the last time you met Shavonne, she never meant to be rude. I was quite shocked myself that she didn't remember you, after all of those evenings you spent playing together..." he frowned as he pondered before continuing,
"Perhaps she really has been too detached from the people outside of the city walls..." Lavina stood with a slightly scared expression, she didn't know what Frank expected of her. Comfort? Wise words? She was only nine years old, what would she know?
"I-it's fine, Frank. There was no hurt feelings between us." She decided to cut the tension and be done with it. Frank pursed his lips into a soft smile yet it didn't feel genuine. He too was ready to move past this feeling and instead asked,
"May I buy a few of your pastries? I'll pass some on to the Queen Dowager if you so fancy?"
"Yes please!" perked up Lavina. Now this was a conversation she was ready to have any day of the week.
And with what felt like a somewhat uneventful summer autumn came into Praaven with swirling golden leaves falling from the once lush trees and a cold breeze sending chills down everyone's skin. The Chapmans quite liked autumn, even if it signified that they would have to spend most of their days indoors once again when winter came, but it also meant that they would have a brilliant harvest and a hearty meal to celebrate their success.
As always, even though the crops had been harvested and become partially barren, the Chapmans never felt right to just kill a plant after it bore no more fruit. They put care into every one of them until each leaf shriveled up and wouldn't take any more water, it was only then that they would compost it for future crops.
And yet with the harvests the horses were lucky to be treated to delicious apples and crisp carrots, and occasionally some lettuce too. Osuald was still childish in his spoiling of Gloria and perhaps overindulged her with these treats but he continued to do so as his father never really noticed.
Before the autumn frost began to creep in through Praaven Byrhtnoth made sure he and his son would travel to one last location to fish. He chose to go to Mahlsberg and fish at the pond at the festival ground as it would be the farthest distance Osuald had travelled on horse back. It was a challenge at times and he would lose the rhythm of Gloria's hooves along the ground a few times but they got there in one piece, if not a little bruised in between his legs.
With each fish they acquired an orange leaf dropped from the tree above them. Osuald watched each one swirl in every direction as it was picked up by the breeze while Byrhtnoth would find it creating ripples as it dropped onto the pond's surface. The festival ground wasn't too busy this time of the year either so they had many moments of solitude amongst their catches.
Lavina began to calm down with her baking as they were running out of flour anyway. They could buy more while they had the coin but she decided to spend time learning other skills around the home. She wondered what could be upstairs through the ladder in Osuald's room but feared to go and check. Her father always told her and her brother that that room was off limits, nothing could be touched up there, and Osuald once overheard that it used to be Eddida's room many years back.
Lavina also overheard that there was some paint and a painter's easel up in that room and she prayed that she would be able to use it again in the future. She knew her father was still grieving the loss of her sister and he just needed time to accept her absence.
On the eve of Byrhtnoth's last quarterly delivery to the castle keep he found himself at a cobbler before visiting the King's home; his everyday shoes bore a sudden hole in them and needed repairs immediately. To his surprise the man he was looking for was there, King Sidgurd himself, making an order for a pair of fine leather hunting boots.
When he turned around he met his old friend and extended his arms out in front of him for a hug. They both had a long discussion about their families, speaking of children and loved ones alike, and felt a warmth in their hearts to hear good news from one another. Unfortunately the King still had other errands to do before nightfall and so Byrhtnoth parted ways with his delivery of produce and made his way out of the cobbler's home.
As he made his way outside and around the corner to get back to Beauty who was tied up near the town square his mind wandered to thoughts of his son. After seeing the King again he hoped his son would grow up to influential and courageous as King Sidgurd was said to be. Who knows how influential a peasant boy could be but perhaps Osuald would answer this question as he gets older?
He also found himself noticing that Osuald spent far too much time with his father than socialising with any other children or teenagers this year and felt somewhat guilty. He adored every minute he had with his son and he wouldn't change it for the world... but how would his son find a young girl to court if he wasn't socialising with them? He knew that he had to play a part in the courting process too but he never wanted to force his children into a loveless marriage...
And that's when he snapped out of his thoughts as he overheard a shrill yet attractive laugh coming from the town square's fountain. A delightfully ginger girl was trading stories with an older lady and the two of them were standing mighty close to where his horse was tied up. Would it hurt to become acquainted with the red headed girl and make a friend for his son?
Byrhtnoth approached the lassies and spoke, "Excuse me ladies, I don't mean to interrupt, but I was just about to untie my horse to venture on home and overheard you lot having a wonderful conversation."
"It's no problem, my dear," spoke the older woman as the red haired girl analysed Byrhtnoth with a smile. "You are welcome to join in, but to be fair, we're having quite a womanly conversation." She croaked out a laugh and the younger girl blushed slightly.
"I'm Byrhtnoth," he extended a hand out to meet one of theirs, "I think introductions are fit before we go any further. I live out by Lughaven."
"My name is Amira, I come from the outskirts of Mahlsberg. This young lady here is the daughter of a good friend of mine." Byrhtnoth finished shaking grey-haired woman's hand and proceeded to shake the young girl's as she spoke.
"My name is Marissa, I live inside the Praaven walls. I'm part of the Hay household... you may have heard of us."
Has he heard of them? Of course he has, the Hays are notoriously known for their unknown source of wealth and extremely large family. They don't present themselves as rich folk yet they can afford to live comfortably in a large townhouse not far from the main square.
"I may have heard a thing or two, yes," admitted Byrhtnoth, "not without a few rumours here or there, but you are a delightful girl. So with the formalities out of the way, what was it that you girls were speaking of?" Marissa giggled as Amria spoke, quite an intoxicating laugh.
"I was just asking if Marissa finds any of the city boys handsome and she had the gall to say no! How could there not be a suitable man inside these walls?"
"Well, we may not live inside the walls of Praaven, but my son is a very handsome young chap. He doesn't know many pretty ladies like you so perhaps you could find something in common?" Marissa's expression changed and she blushed a little as Byrhtnoth spoke. Ah, youth and their love, what a strange combination.
"Oh, spectacular! Perhaps you could set up a playdate for the pair?" chirped Amira as she rubbed Marissa's arm.
"I haven't travelled outside of the Praaven walls in a while," admitted Marissa sheepishly.
"Don't worry about it, dear," spoke Byrhtnoth with a calming voice, "The road to our farm house has been ever safe. You are more than welcome to visit anytime you can."
There was a glint in Marissa's eye, a hope for a courtship in her near future. Byrhtnoth gazed upon this scarlet-headed girl and wondered if she would be a brilliant wife for his boy in a few years time. There were still a few more years to live through before such a decision is set in stone but the prospects were there...
