1329 - A Brilliant Glow
Lana settled into the quirks and routines of the Chapmans with ease. She appreciated their no-nonsense way of living and grew a comfortable regimen of housework while the men maintained the farm and the farm animals. Winter came and went yet her work did not end; it was the men that stayed indoors while the soil was deeply frozen and the fish were not in season.
This gave Lana plenty of time to learn more about the history of the Chapmans once her duties were out of the way. One morning, just as she was finishing laying fresh linens onto the occupied beds in the home, she found herself staring at the old tapestry depicting the Chapmans way back in 1310. She recognised the man that stood in the centre of the frame to be Byrhtnoth but the lady and little girls were very unfamiliar. She could tell that this tapestry was old as her husband, Osuald, was nowhere to be seen.
It was a gorgeously made tapestry yet it began to display the effects of time, losing some of its colour and developing some holes, probably eaten by moths during the summer season. After analysing it for so long she tried to remind herself to ask her new family about the piece and learn more about who these people were but before she could go any further something stirred in Lana.
A swirling sensation grew in her belly and she felt a cold sweat creep up on her. She breathed out with a frown as she tried to understand this sickly feeling before heaving and covering her mouth. She rushed to a chamber pot that stood near her large bed and expelled some liquid, confused as to what could have caused her to feel this way. She hadn't even had time to eat breakfast, what could be making her so violently ill?
Once she cleaned herself up she distracted the continuous wavy feeling through her chores, putting in the labor to wash and scrub their dirty linens. The air was still crisp but beginning to warm up and Osuald decided to depart for a short fishing escapade for the day. She waved him goodbye from the wash basin and watched him ride off on Gloria down the beaten paths near their home.
As she hung up the washing she was approached by Byrhtnoth, who had fed the horses and chickens and was left with no more chores to do.
"Would you like to warm up inside and play a short game of dominoes?" he asked the young girl. Lana agreed to his request but just as they stepped inside the sickly feeling returned. She excused herself and ran over to the nearest chamber pot to expel an ugly sickness once more. She recoiled in the knowledge of needing to clean up after herself again but eventually showed her face to her husband's father who was waiting patiently at the domino table.
"Are you feeling alright?" questioned the concerned father. "It didn't sound pretty."
"I'll be just fine," she reassured him, and herself in a way. She wasn't too worried about feeling sick, it happened on occasion with the lifestyle of the middle ages, and as long as there was no blood present she knew she was in the clear. Still, she felt like Byrhtnoth's worries were genuine and so she decided to open up to him,
"It is actually my second time today, even before I came down for breakfast." The old man's eyebrows became raised when he heard that information but he kept quiet, Lana continued,
"I cannot fathom what I may have eaten to make me so ill but I'm sure it will pass."
"Unless..." his voice drifted as soon as he began but Lana found his eyes wander down to her belly and then back again. She looked down naively and didn't see what he could be implying, her dress was clean and there was nothing that could be-
"Could you be... with child?" He interrupted her thoughts and she put a hand on her belly. It was so flat, like it always was... could there really be a child growing inside?
"Could I?" she asked, floored by his statement.
"Well, it is not my business to ask if you have missed any bleeds but women tend to feel highly unwell in their first few months." She was dumbfounded but not insulted by his words. What he spoke of felt like honest truth yet it was still difficult to believe.
She would be lying if she said she wasn't bedded by Osuald many more a time during the winter months. The weather had been cold and canoodling under the covers kept them nice and warm, along with bringing them a strong sense of pleasure, so there were many opportunities that would bring her to the state in which she was now.
"Do you know of ways to prevent this... sickness from happening?" she suddenly asked, swallowing another bout of nausea, yet she couldn't tell if it was from the sickness yet again or due to her processing this newfound knowledge.
"Don't worry, my dear girl, I will take care of you," comforted Byrhtnoth with a hand on her shoulder. "When my wife was ill like this for most of her pregnancies she avoided all fish; just the smell of it would send her running to the chamber pot! No, she found solace in some lightly toasted bread, a warm porridge and sometimes even eating some root vegetables raw. Let us leave the dominoes alone for now and ease your stomach."
He began leading her back towards their main farmhouse and sitting with her in the kitchen. He made her a small bowl of plain porridge with a dollop of butter and two slices of sourdough bread, gently toasted, and watched her eat. To her surprise the bread really helped digest the bowl of porridge and although the nausea wasn't completely gone it was well managed.
As she chewed she asked the man about the tapestry she saw earlier and he chuckled before he said, "You know, this is not the first time someone in this home has asked about it. Little Lavina was also highly curious about who those people were..."
Byrhtnoth intrigued his daughter-by-law about the tapestry of himself, Olyff, Pipa, Linyeve and Eddida. Lana hummed and hawed as she listened, but especially reacted to recognising Linyeve as the dark haired girl. He reminisced how long it has been since he was gifted the piece and how much has changed since then, speaking on how bleak it was when Teffan had passed just before the piece was made.
He tried to make a lesson out of it and remind Lana that there will be tragedies that may come by yet life will continue on and Lana joined him in thanking The Watcher for the gift of life. She couldn't help but slide a hand down to touch her belly when she thought of the gift of life as she felt like she may be receiving this gift soon herself. Once her bowl was empty and her stomach calmed they returned to the other side of the farm to play their promised game of strategy.
In the days that followed there had been news delivered from the Smith home: Lavina had given birth to a baby boy! The couple decided to name him Glen, after Bobby's father. Bobby came to inform Byrhtnoth about their new addition but hesitated for a minute to say the full truth. He spoke that in the days following the birth Glen had been having troubles sleeping, saying he was crying most nights and that his voice wasn't quite like a typical baby's.
CW: infant death.
Yet not a week later, as Byrhtnoth went to visit his daughter to congratulate her, he arrived to a quiet home. Lavina sat inside the smithy with tear streaked cheeks and fell into her father's arms as soon as she saw him. She spoke of how their son failed to live past his first week and when they delivered him to the church to bury they told of his demise; the men thought for him to be born with a birth defect. It was difficult to believe and Lavina worried if it was because she was too young to have a child but she was comforted by her father nonetheless.
CW over.
One Sunday morning, almost a full month after Lana's morning sicknesses began she desperately waited to see if she would endure her monthly bleed once again. Her change in diet helped her feel less sick, through the help of Byrhtnoth's wisdom, so it was easier to hide her wonders of pregnancy from her husband. She didn't want to keep secrets from Osuald, she just wanted to tell him the grand news once she had full confirmation.
As the family finished their routine game of morning dominoes every Sunday Osuald had a suggestion,
"Why don't we travel to see your parents in the city?" he asked Lana. "It has been a long while since you have seen them and I'm sure they would be delighted to catch up."
"They should be finishing their Sunday service by now," pondered Lana before nodding enthusiastically. "I'd love that! Let's get ready and set off!"
The family dressed appropriately for the weather and saddled up their horses. Byrhtnoth would ride on Gloria and Osuald and Lana would travel on Silvian. The young stallion was now fully trained to handle a saddle with no complaints and Lana held on tightly to Osuald as she rode sitting behind him. The sun shone brightly as they made their way past the rolling farm hills of Praaven and found themselves at the city walls in no time.
It wasn't a long journey from the towering defense to the Bacon household as their home was connected to a part of the keep's walls. They stationed their horses outside of the towering structure and were met by Grady and Alanna Bacon opening their doors and waving to the Chapmans.
Their home was primarily made from stone, almost identical to the one that was used to build Praaven's walls, and stood three storeys tall. Once inside it was a little more cramped than the Chapman house, with many corridors and winding stairs that led to small rooms of all uses. They were led through the ground floor storage rooms and up to the second floor dining room where Alanna began offering her guests warm mugs of mead.
Before following the group upstairs Lana spotted her family's pup, Matilda, and reacquainted with her with some pets and scratches. Osuald couldn't help but stray behind also when he heard his wife speaking so fondly to someone and stood and admired the scene for a while.
Lana noticed someone watching and called Osuald over to pet little Matilda and got questioned as to how old she is and how long they have had her. Osuald had never seen a dog in his own home and didn't know much too well on how to behave with them but quickly eased into pleasing the canine with gentle strokes over her fur.
They all eventually gathered in the dining hall and took their seats, beginning their conversations. Lana's parents reported very little to their daughter, only speaking on business doing well and her half-brother Bimble growing up splendidly. Lana assured her parents that her life on the Chapman farm was very good and Byrhtnoth smiled through all of her praises and comforts that she told of his home.
The young girl was incredibly happy to see her parents and was surprised with how much she missed them. She was so ready and excited to get married to Osuald and soon start her own family that she truly and well believed that she was ready to live apart from her parents. She silently thanked Osuald for the suggestion at the table and soon the discussions went into entertainment and politics.
At some point, not too long before the Chapmans had to depart home, Grady called his daughter to follow him downstairs. As they walked he pointed something out to her,
"You have a wonderful glow to you, Lana," he spoke fondly. "Whether it's the farm life that suits you or perhaps there's something you haven't told your mother and I, regardless, you look beautiful"
Lana felt her heart skip a beat at her father's last comment. She felt inadequate, like everyone knew something that she herself didn't. She steeled herself but remained friendly,
"What could I be possibly hiding from you two, father?" Grady smiled softly at his daughter and breathed out a laugh,
"Do you not remember? In the scripture it has been said, 'The Watcher bestows a brilliant glow upon every lady that bears the gift of life for she is to be marveled and protected until she is ripe and ready.' You possess such a glow in my eyes."
Her father has nary been a prophet but his knowledge on The Watcher surpasses even a priest's on occasion but to be told something like this was like a miracle to Lana. She found that her mouth had opened in awe and she shut it promptly, glancing around in embarrassment before finally answering her father.
"I appreciate your watchful eye, father. If I had the confidence I would have alerted you and mother of my pregnancy... but it is my first time, and there are no women living along side me in the Chapman home. I am waiting a month more before I can determine the news."
"I know, my girl," Grady smiled as he enveloped his one and only daughter in an embrace. "I know."
He pulled away and their eyes locked in adoration for one another before he pushed the conversation in another direction,
"Regardless of your physical status, my dear, you must take some of our bacon and lard back home. Delight your new family to some broiled pork or perhaps a stew packed with the flavour of the pig's fat. I'm sure it is something they had never tried before."
"I promise you, father," responded the obedient daughter. "May The Watcher ever guide your soul."
"And yours too." It sounded like a serious plea to their almighty god but it was a common saying in their home, a wishful and positive message before saying goodbye to one another. Grady kissed Lana on the forehead before ushering her back up the stairs to get packed and ready to venture home.
They all said their farewells and Lana promised to see her parents again in the next half year and Byrhtnoth chimed in to extend an invitation to their abode whenever they happened to be riding by. They saddled back up onto Gloria and Silvian and trotted on home, their warm breath turning into mist as they rode through dusk.
The next month came and went and Lana's menses failed to show. Her food sensitivities grew stronger and it only became more difficult to hide her situation from her husband. He had already began to catch on to the fact that she raced for the chamber pot most mornings but was fearful to ask what it may be.
And so she found him one evening, after he returned from a long day of fishing, and told him the news before he had his dinner. She piqued his interest by letting him know she had some major news to tell him and he stood in wait before she announced,
"We have a baby on the way... I am with child!" She gestured outwards, opening up fully to the truth. Osuald's jaw dropped yet his eyes stayed gentle as his mind processed this new information. He looked her up and down before he asked,
"You're pregnant? We are going to have a baby?"
"Yes," chortled Lana as she nodded, "that is exactly what I'm telling you!"
"Oh, oh my goodness," Osuald exhaled. He was lost for words and all he did was sweep his darling wife into his arms and hold her tight, expressing his excitement, love and longing in one grand gesture. He lightly lifted her up and swung her around and Lana let out a squeal of surprise before he placed her down again.
"We are going to be a mother and a father in several months time," he lightly spoke, verbalising something he still had trouble understanding. He was worried of being a father so soon after marriage yet he had no qualms about it in that moment. He just looked at his wife, still in an embrace, and felt his cheeks begin to hurt from his never ending smile.
"Yes we are, Oz," finally replied Lana, "We will have a little baby that will call us their mother and father." Osuald finally released her from his passionate grasp and his eyes trailed down to her belly. Even at approximately two months of pregnancy there was barely a bump in sight but Osuald felt the urge to feel one out anyway as he placed a hand there.
He was met with the exact expectation that he had, just Lana's typical belly, not a baby in sight or feeling. Lana looked down at her husband and was also in the same state of awe as he was. The knowledge that a baby was developing deep inside of her organs was a semi uncomfortable one yet the miracle of life was greatly intriguing.
"I hope he inherits your brilliantly dark hair," Osuald finally spoke and Lana coughed a sign of surprise.
"He?" she emphasised, "What makes you think it'll be a he?"
"Just rolled off my tongue," shrugged Osuald, clearly not thinking too deeply into what he had just said.
"Well, if it is a he," continued Lana with less of a strain on her voice, "I hope he receives your fair blond locks." The couple smiled at one another, clearly at a standstill, so Osuald conceded and pulled his hand away and kissed his wife before finally taking a bowl and spooning his dinner into it.
The young pair were reluctant to a new change in the home but, according to Lana, it was important to make. The Chapmans had never heard of such traditions but it seemed that the highly religious Bacons believed that once a woman was with child she had to leave the bed of her husband and sleep alone as to guarantee protection for the baby and to separate the mother from the hardworking man.
It felt a bit archaic and tribal but Osuald was not one to argue with his love and so they arranged it for Lana to sleep in the newly built wooden home across the way. The bed was almost identical to the one inside the farmhouse, if not even more softer and comfier, and the mother-to-be stayed warm under the covers next to the roaring hearth.
She still spent most of her time in the main farmhouse but her nights were spent apart from the Chapman men. One traditional rule was bent however as the young couple grew depressed from the lack of intimacy late at night and so Osuald would often spend a night with Lana in her bed while she was in her early months of pregnancy and head off to sleep in the farmhouse.
Each time that they would embrace and kiss under the sheets at night yet Osuald would awake alone in his room in the mornings he felt a deepening sadness. He glanced over at the other side of the bed, the place where Lana slept beside him just months prior, and frowned slightly but always perked up as soon as he saw her cooking their breakfast downstairs, greeting her with a soft kiss.
Spring was in full swing by then and they all gathered their forces to start up another year of farming. The men hunched down and picked through the soil as they planted their seeds while Lana remained upright and nourished the seedlings with a watering pot. The girl hadn't farmed much before her arrival to the Chapman home and so she watched and listened carefully to the instructions she was given.
Even though she hadn't worked too rigorously on the farm she would try and get a bath in every fortnight. She felt like the warm water eased her various aches and pains that came with pregnancy and during the process she would even speak to the little one that developed inside of her. When she was alone she grew accustomed to talking to her child, it kept her company and it gave her an outlet for her excitement as a first time mother.
And by her fourth month of pregnancy a bump was beginning to show. Small yet protruding slightly, Lana wondered how much more rotund she could get as the months went by. Byrhtnoth exclaimed in awe when he finally took notice and asked to feel her belly, smiling profusely once he felt his grandchild taking form in his daughter-by-law.
He had seen his wife pregnant nine times throughout her life but he failed to ever fully see the process of his daughters carry a child. This granted him a deeper sense of protection not only for his grandchild but also for the young girl that was to be a mother. He remembered all of his fears he faced every time he knew his daughters were close to giving birth and he never wanted for Grady and Alanna to have their fears come true. And so he fed her adequately, kept her warm at home and, even on occasion, fulfilled her chores for her.
With the sun beaming in the sky hotter each day and the rain subsiding for the next while it was evident that Praaven was now experiencing a summer. The crops were in full maturity and required the most attention that they needed at this point in their growth and so everyone continued to work in the soil.
It was quite comforting for the men to have a feminine presence on their field as they conversed about all sorts of topics while their hands were busy. Byrhtnoth breached the question of baby names, if the soon-to-be-parents had any on their mind yet, to which they answered with blank stares. This got them all talking about feminine and masculine names they had heard of before and find them agreeing and disagreeing to various suggestions.
Alongside the hours of farmwork that had to be done Osuald also continued to be the primary fisherman of the household. The waters were finally warm and the rivers and lakes were abundant with fish hence he travelled across Praaven, sometimes for several days, to bring back a big catch.
They continued to deliver this fish, and some produce that was ripe for the picking, to the royal family while also selling plenty of it at the Praaven markets to earn their coin. After the construction done on their farm, and Lavina's wedding dowry paid last year, they were low on funds once again. Apart from the usual tallage and taxes there was no great cost looming above them but they always needed to stay prepared as life was known to be unpredictable.
And speaking of Lavina, among her grief for her firstborn she found herself with child once more. It came as a shock to the Chapmans but when meeting with Osuald she confided in him that being bedded by Bobby was a distraction she was honoured to have. She felt like her older brother would understand this best, now that he was also married and supposedly in love, so it was no surprise that she was pregnant once more because of it.
The months progressed with speed and Lana's pregnancy advanced with ease. Her belly looked like it couldn't get any bigger but continued to prove them all wrong as she neared her last month before labor. Before she grew too large she found time to travel with Osuald to tell her parents of the news and they looked overjoyed when she revealed their secret. They awaited their first grandchild with the same eagerness as the young parents awaited their child.
Life began to slow down for some, Osuald continued to be hardworking and diligent, and so they caught up through dinners and games of dominoes. Even with the rest that she was sanctioned to Lana felt herself dozing off during the games and continued to blame the pregnancy for her state. She was shocked to find how much developing a life inside a body would take a toll on one's energy.
Then, finally, the baby was on its way. Lana went to relieve herself over a chamber pot in one of the bedrooms and as soon as she squatted down a rush of liquid fell out of her. She had been experiencing small cramps earlier in the day but with this watery surprise she realised that her labor had began!
She rushed to find the men, who had just finished their dinners, and announced loudly to them,
"I think I'm in labor!"
Her voice was slightly panicked as the realisation set in that she had to prepare for a painful night and Osuald met her with the same energy, rising up to his feet and beginning to flail his arms around. Byrhtnoth sighed and attempted to calm the teens down before taking control of the situation.
The old man had helped his late wife deliver plenty of children and believed that they would only be wasting their money if they hired a midwife. He guided the young girl, hunched over from birthing pains, and brought her to her room and close to the bassinet next to it.
He instructed her to walk around until she felt like her legs may buckle and then take comfort in laying down on the bed as he set down clean linens and brought buckets of warm water. Osuald tried to stay calm but with every cry of anguish Lana made he winced and wished he could make her pain go away.
Minutes turned into hours and soon it was many hours past midnight. Byrhtnoth tried his best to stay awake and busied himself with menial chores downstairs while Osuald fell into a light slumber on the bed next to his wife. Just as Byrhtnoth came to check on Lana one more time she had become fully dilated and it was time for the final pushes.
The men stood at the foot of the bed and Lana's husband held her hand tight as she screamed out with every press she made with her abdomen. Just before dawn broke a gurgling cry echoed against the wooden walls and out came the baby. Byrhtnoth scooped the tot into his arms and instructed his son to prepare the newborn to clean him with. Lana threw her head back in exhaustion on the bed and listened to the baby's cries, a sound she didn't think she would be so happy to hear, and smiled through huffs of laboured breaths.
Osuald helped clean both the baby and his wife up and changed the bed linens underneath her. Byrhtnoth wrapped the newborn up and handed it to the new mother and she sighed in adoration once she saw her baby's little cheeks.
"Congratulations, Lana," said Byrhtnoth as he extended a finger to stroke the baby's fine hairs. "It's a boy."
Lana was overjoyed. She didn't care much for the sex of the baby but she couldn't believe how right her husband was. When he returned after dumping all of the dirty linens downstairs they told him the news and he sat down to admire the little boy held by his loving wife.
"So, are we happy with the name we decided if it were to be a boy?" asked Osuald to Lana and she replied with a small nod.
"What is the name, may I ask?" questioned Byrhtnoth, eyes only on the baby.
"Bercthun," answered Lana with a slightly hoarse voice from all the groans and screams she made that night. "He was the saint of light, as referenced in the scripture of The Watcher... and it's just a handsome name."
Byrhtnoth smiled at her description and uttered the boy's given name a few times as he continued to gently smooth the fair hairs on the baby's head.
"It's best if we all get some rest, especially you, my love," said Osuald as he referred to his wife, taking Bercthun out of her arms. He rocked him slightly before he placed him in the tiny crib that stood next to the large bed and he looked at his son open his eyes for the first time.
The baby gargled and stuck his tongue out in acknowledgment and blinked slowly as he stared at his father. Osuald froze as he connected with his son and extended his hand out to him. The baby's little fingers clasped tightly around his index finger and Bercthun's lips curled into a smile for a moment. He wriggled slightly before he relaxed and looked as if he was drifting off to sleep and Osuald stood back in awe.
"He held my finger," he said in soft wonder.
"I saw that," smiled back Lana. The pair shared a look of absolute bliss and Osuald sat down on the bed to hug his wife. He continued to be gentle with her as he saw what pains she went through but both baby and mother seemed to be in great health after the ordeal. Byrhtnoth took his leave and left the new family to share their moment of love before Osuald also left Lana to go and get some sleep of his own.
The mother and baby snored softly as the sun grew larger in the sky. The day would be unlike their usual, every member of the family sleeping in late, but it would be celebrated further once baby Bercthun cried out to be fed by his mother.
Lana eased into her new role as a mother with ease. It felt like she was born to nurture and care for her offspring as she put lots of attention in meeting Bercthun's needs within minutes of his cries. And every time she held the little boy she couldn't help but dote on him, his button nose and chubby cheeks were too adorable to not touch and pinch gently!
It was fascinating for her to suddenly have a new reason to wake up every morning. She had always been grateful to be alive but nothing could compare the love she had for her child. She loved her parents and Osuald so but to watch Bercthun grow with each day through her love was on another level.
The Chapman lads took notice of Lana's diligence in parenting and discussed her talents over breakfast one morning. As Byrhtnoth chewed his food next to his son, Osuald brought a question to their meal,
"Was mother as caring and attentive to us as Lana is to Bercthun?" Byrhtnoth sighed before he answered, memories of his wife swirling in his mind. The hours she spent caring for multiple children at once, the heartbreak she faced with each child she lost, until her dying breath did she dedicate her life to keeping her children happy, fed and safe. Nothing could compare to the love that Olyff gave Osuald and his siblings.
"Lana has a lot to live up to if she wants to get to Olyff's level," Byhrtnoth said as he shook his head. "But she has all the time in the world. Lana is only caring for one baby right now, let us see how she will manage with two, or three, or even four."
Osuald felt a little hurt by his father's bluntness but only because he thought of his wife so highly. He took another spoonful of his breakfast into his mouth and swallowed before he spoke again,
"Are you diminishing her efforts by comparing her to my mother?"
"Hey, boy, you were the first to compare the two of them," retorted Byrhtnoth, a twinge of annoyance in his tone. "I am not trying to put Lana down by any means, I am just saying that..." He sighed and pushed away his bowl. "Your mother was like no other. Lana is a young mother, she has the qualities of being just as brilliant of a matriarch as Olyff but... she has a lot to prove."
Osuald caught the sorrowful look in his father's eye and realised that he should apologise. "I'm sorry father, I did not mean to be rude. I'm sure you can understand that I love Lana very much and to not hear full confirmation of her being a great mother felt like a dagger to the heart."
"I know, my boy," he sighed, "I know." They finished their breakfasts in silence, Byrhtnoth's mind deep in reminiscence of the times he had with his wife, gone to soon. He caught himself pondering on all of his grief and only hoped that Osuald wouldn't have to face it anytime soon.
The work on the farm was close to being complete for the year. The various plants produced fruits, slowly began to shrivel away and soon the harvest began. Osuald took charge this year as Lana stuck to her household chores and care for little Bercthun while Byrhtnoth cared for the animals and watched after his grandson while Lana was busy.
He had forgotten just how small and weightless little babies felt as he lifted Bercthun out of his crib and rested his head in the crease of his elbow. He would walk around Lana's room and rock the baby, speaking to him about things he saw outside, and sometimes even commented on what his mama was doing when she was completing her chores outdoors.
Byrhtnoth was delighted to be a grandfather once more and was grateful to be able to spend so much time with his grandson also. He thought of Lavina and Linyeve, both mothers losing their babies so early, and prayed silently to The Watcher to grant them safety from any other losses ahead of them.
As the Chapmans gathered their yield it was time to deliver their last quarterly parcel of produce to the Praaven castle before the year was over. Byrhtnoth offered to visit the King's home alone and grant the young couple some time alone; it had been a while since Byrhtnoth had ridden a horse solo, ever since the passing of Beauty.
King Sidgurd was away on royal duties thus Byrhtnoth's visit at the castle was cut short. But in his quick trip he met Frank and was told of his granddaughter's status: she was quickly married. He was stunned... was she not younger than Lavina? Frank didn't look to proud of it himself and explained that it wasn't an easy decision to make.
Since very few folk actually knew of Shavonne's true status as lowborn she was to be married off to a merchant's son. Once she found out about the arrangement she began to sneak out of the castle and try to canoodle with a boy inside the city walls. There was a relatively large age gap between them and once Frank and Queen Dowager Mary-Anne found out they sped up her true courtship with a boy called Daniel Jacobs and that was final. She now lived in the Jacobs home, only a fifteen minute walk from the keep, but was said to be with child.
Byrhtnoth barely noticed how far he had ridden from the castle after he heard the news as his mind swirled with questions left unanswered... how could such a thing happen? Why did Shavonne act out so immaturely? What kind of parenting was Frank doing in her developmental years? Nevertheless he prayed that she was safe in her current situation and that she brings her child safely into the world.
As he thought of Shavonne's future baby he was riding past the Bacon house and decided to stop by. They still hadn't delivered the news to Lana's parents that she had given birth successfully and so Byrhtnoth decided to be the bearer of good news. It was only Alanna inside their home but she promised to tell her husband that they were now grandparents once he returned from work. They promised to come visit once the frost was gone from the lands in the new year.
Back at home Lana was finally getting a moment to rest in peace and quiet: Bercthun was having his daytime nap. As she rocked his crib gently and watched Bercthun's eyes flutter shut Osuald made his way into the room. He stood and cherished the scene before him and only made himself known once Lana turned to see him standing.
She put a finger to her lips as a reminder to be quiet to her husband before meeting him in an embrace. Before they pulled away they continued to hold one another but turned their heads to watch their tot snooze away and felt love beyond measure. Osuald couldn't help but ask himself, how could life get any better than this?
Before Osuald made a sound Lana whispered into his ear to take their conversation into the other farmhouse. They climbed down the ladder, walked across the way and found themselves standing in the kitchen, the house silent and solitary. The fire crackled nearby and Silvian, who rested inside the indoor stables, snorted in the distance. They hadn't faced the absence of Osuald's father in several months and their thoughts only raced to one thing.
CW: teen romance, descriptions of kissing & sex.
"You know... the home is completely empty," began Osuald with a tone of seduction, "Well, except the horse in the other room." He began to envelop his wife into his arms again and she chuckled at his notice before giving into his soft touch.
"You're absolutely right," agreed Lana, beginning to brush a finger down and around her husband's chest. "What could you possibly be thinking about in such a situation?"
"Only one thing," he whispered before he locked lips with his wife, cupping her face in his hand. They enjoyed this time of freedom, freedom to express their lustful love without any fears of prying eyes interrupting them. Lana's mind tried to worry her about her month old son in the other building but Osuald's kisses down her neck promptly pushed those thoughts away.
For months now they had tried to be quiet if Osuald were to bed Lana but who could hear them now? Silvian? Lana moaned freely and Osuald's breathing only grew more rapid and soon the wife felt a part of her husband press against her that wasn't there minutes before.
They separated from their hold and found their way up to Osuald's room. They each took their spot on the bed, Lana on the left and Osuald on the right, and teased one another by staying put for a moment, undressing each other only with their eyes. Osuald caved first and committed to the act by rolling over onto Lana and littering her with thousands of kisses.
They shed their clothes, one article at a time, and soon they were getting messy in between the linen sheets. They filled the bed with sweat, groans and passion and it wasn't long before the big finish happened. They lay in satisfaction for a moment, catching their breaths and laying bare before another. Osuald played with his wife's hair, tangling it in between his fingers, while Lana looked deeply into her husband's eyes.
She stared at her lover whose expression was as relaxed as it could be and watched him play with her long strands of hair in adoration. Lana couldn't believe that he was the father of their child, that they created an individual through such a vigorous and physical act, an individual who would grow up and one day do the same to continue their lineage. Osuald caught his wife staring and let go of her locks and floated his way toward her face to kiss her once again.
CW over.
Their moment concluded far too quickly as Lana overheard little Bercthun cry from the across the farm. She fixed her hair and threw on her dress in a hurry but was stopped by Osuald for a second,
"I've missed having you in my bed." His voice was genuine and truly longing for these intimate moments. Ever since the birth of Bercthun there were few moments where they could even share a kiss for longer than a second so he was eternally thankful to his wife for finding the time for him, and for his father for travelling away on duty.
"I've missed being here with you also," she responded with a smile, a smile that hid the fact that as much as she missed these moments being a mother is far more important to her. She climbed down the ladder and walked with speed to see what her newborn was crying for. Osuald rolled onto his side, still naked, and thought about the last time he had his wife with him there. Soon he felt a nip in the air and decided to get dressed once again.
Byrhtnoth returned home before the sun touched the horizon and unsaddled Gloria before entering the kitchen where the young couple ate dinner. He announced his presence and they looked up at him with smiles.
"Ah, dinner is promptly served, as always," he admired, walking to sit down and wait for his serving. Lana began spooning the vegetable stew into a bowl as the old man asked,
"Did I miss anything while I was out?"
"Nothing at all," responded Lana, placing the bowl down before him. Osuald was glad his wife said something before his cheeks began to glow red. "Bercthun had a nap and I was busy sweeping the floors." She wasn't lying, she just didn't tell the full truth.
"Brilliant," finished Byrhtnoth before putting his first spoonful of stew in his mouth and flinching at the temperature. While he waited for it to cool down he told the teens about the information he had learned about Shavonne and they listened carefully, especially Lana as she was learning about their extended family that lived inside the castle for the first time.
To finish off the year two births were celebrated exactly a month apart from each other. Shavonne was first to give birth to her baby girl who she called Wilnothe. It was reported than when her labors concluded she told her husband that they would not be having any more children until she was in her twenties and the young boy couldn't argue against her when she had such an angry yet determined expression.
And then Lavina welcomed another baby into the Smith home in December, a baby girl also, which they named Gisla. Byrhtnoth took the time to visit his daughter sooner than he did when she gave birth earlier in the year and met the little girl with brown tufts of hair which shared the same colour as Bobby's. Yet, to Byrhtnoth's eyes, the hair only reminded him of his late-wife's as it looked far more of an ashy brown than the rich honey brown that Bobby adorned.
Once again, the Chapmans found themselves unwinding at the Domino table, keeping warm inside and straying away from the near freezing temperatures outside. The topic that happened to persist at the table was babies, babies, babies and it felt like it would stay like that for years, and babies, to come.
The Chapmans
