As the Chapmans began to fully recover from the events of the famine in the last decade people were allowed to live safely... for now. There were several marriages and several losses throughout this decade. Here's the rundown of every chapter throughout the 1320s!
CW: Several mentions of infant death, mourning, underage marriage throughout.
1320
The decade began with Linyeve celebrating her eighteenth birthday. Many of their friends and family gathered for the celebration and even her new romantic interest, August Dodson. He expressed his interest in Linyeve to Byrhtnoth and he gave them permission to be courted. Months later close family gathered to commemorate Lavina's fifth year and it was then that August and Byrhtnoth began to plan the wedding. This was also the first year that Byrhtnoth began to experience some pretty scary nightmares...
Summer came and so did the wedding date and the occasion was held at the Tovar festival ground. It was a pleasant affair and Linyeve became a Dodson. The year finished off with the remaining Chapmans heading down to the winter festival in Mahlsberg and challenging King Sidgurd to a pie eating competition where Byrthtnoth was victorious and won a mint pie!
1321
An unfortunate event started off the year with a burglar attempting to rob the Chapmans but was promptly stopped by Byrhtnoth. He continued to be a prime example for his son yet soon after the nightmares returned as he envisioned his daughter's ghost. Lavina asked her father about their family history and they had a moment of reminiscence. Frank had a courier deliver a letter to the Chapmans telling them of how he was now living with the royal family as their private priest and that he also got married to Queen Dowager Mary-Anne!
They met Linyeve at the Praaven market and she revealed that she was pregnant, a joy for Byrhtnoth. Lots of farming and fishing took place also but the children finished off the year by going to the river bank and having a splash together before promptly returning home for dinner.
1322
A handful of tall tales were told around the dinner table this year as the children's imaginations ran wild... or was it all true? Osuald saw a werewolf as he was returning home one evening and Lavina spotted a woman conjure an apple out of thin air. Byrhtnoth was skeptical yet doubted his feelings as he had encountered a unicorn in the past before.
We found out that Linyeve had given birth to a baby called January but her health wasn't the best. She tried her best to keep her feeling well but eventually she succumbed to a fever just before her first birthday. Byrhtnoth was thankful he got to meet the baby at least once before she was taken by The Watcher. Before the year ended Byrhtnoth ran in to Frank who explained more about how he got to live with the royals inside the Praaven castle.
1323
The year began with another celebration: Osuald was now ten years old! He began stepping up to help out with the farm and learn to ride a horse now that he was tall enough and took quite a liking to Gloria. In the middle of February Linyeve had given birth to another daughter and they called her February! Lavina continued to sell her baked goods across Praaven and met Shavonne for the first time in a long time. She was dressed more appropriately for living inside the castle and when Lavina attempted to greet her she was met with the cold shoulder.
Months later Frank saw Lavina selling her pastries and came to apologise for his daughter's behaviour. Although Byrhtnoth enjoyed his son's close presence he realised he wasn't socialising with many other children or teens and grew worried. But just before the year ended he met a darling young girl with ginger hair who was the same age as Osuald and her name was Marissa.
1324
As the winter melted away the Chapmans received an invitation from King Sidgurd to visit for dinner and so they travelled on horseback to spend time with their allies. Byrhtnoth met the King's rightful heir and Lavina straightened out her friendship with Shavonne during their stay. As it grew dark the Chapmans were offered to sleep the night inside the castle and they slept very comfortably in the guest quarters. Just before Lavina's birthday Linyeve had yet another little daughter who they called April but not even a month after her birth she suffered a cot death and she went into mourning. When she arrived to Lavina's birthday celebration she found it difficult to keep her tears inside of her yet they carried on with the party.
Lavina was now ten years old and growing taller with each year. At this gathering Osuald met Marissa for the first time and instantly had a connection with her. He proceeded to see her several times more throughout the year, his crush only intensifying for her, but was met with the fact that they probably cannot be together if Marissa's mother didn't allow it.
1325
Osuald fell into somewhat of a depression during the winter as he tried to settle with the fact that he and Marissa cannot be. This was finalised with an invitation from her family to attend her wedding which he denied. After a fishing trip that his father took him on to get his mind off of her he ended up bumping into Marissa and an argument ensued. He learned that she had fallen pregnant before the wedding and instantly fell out of love with her.
The Chapmans visited the keep once more in the spring and any distraction was good for Osuald as he recovered from his first heartbreak. While Lavina was home alone she witnessed one of their horses, Greyson, die and was devastated to tell her father and brother when they returned home. Before the year ended the Chapmans hosted a gift giving celebration and their home was bustling with friends and family. It was that night that Osuald met Lana Bacon for the first time, August's niece. All thoughts of Marissa melted away and he only wanted to know more about Lana.
1326
Byrhtnoth began to feel the effects of time this year as he observed his wrinkled face and reminisced on days gone. He also met Shavonne, who was also now ten years old, and his heart skipped a beat as she looked so much like her late mother, Pipa. Osuald began to travel to fish alone and during his absence their horse Gloria gave birth to a foal who they called Silvian!
The topic of romance and marriage came up during dinner many a time this year and Byrhtnoth encouraged his son to go after Lana to win her heart. When he travelled to schedule a meeting with her and her father in a tavern Byrhtnoth and Lavina went to mourn their fallen relatives at the Lughaven cemetery. There they met a handsome young man by the name of Bobby Smith and Byrthtnoth would later question his daughter if she would have any interest in marrying him to which she answered with doubts. Byhrhtnoth experienced a bout of influenza and dreamed of seeing Greyson's ghost before being taken care of his daughter in bed. He had to excuse himself from the meeting Osuald scheduled with Lana and her father and instead tried to prove to them both of them solo that he had an interest in courting Lana.
Linyeve was reported to have given birth to another baby and it was a girl called October. Byrhtnoth and Lavina visited the graveyard once more as it was the ten year death anniversary of Eddida and went to the Lughaven tavern afterwards to warm up. There they saw Lana soon followed by Osuald and the pair continued to learn more about each other.
1327
Early in the year Bobby visited the Chapman stead and spoke to Byrhtnoth about his feelings for his daughter. He had been coming around every week or so before this important visit and grew closer to Lavina. He received permission from the father to go ahead with the courting and popped the question to Lavina in private. She was very apprehensive as she felt she was still far too young for all of this but politely agreed to the offering. Not a month after this decision she experienced her first bleed and only grew more worried what this meant for her.
The Chapmans all experienced another influenza and Byrhtnoth suffered the most symptoms but after two weeks they were all right as rain. The misfortune continued as when Lavina went to feed the horses she found Beauty unconscious and went to alert the rest of the family. They all mourned together and Byrhtnoth cried the most as Beauty was his chosen horse, living through so much with him. They attempted to lift their spirits by visiting the summer festival in Mahlsberg and were delighted to spend time with lots of their friends and family. Lavina was convinced by Shavonne that her potential marriage to Bobby was a great decision and Osuald planned to finally have his and Lana's parents meet.
Before the grand meeting the Chapmans got news that Linyeve's daughter had passed away from falling out of her crib and she fell into a dark depression. The Bacons came down to the Chapman stead and were offered a warm dinner and a nice chat about Lana's and Osuald's future and a courting was confirmed between the young couple. The year finished off with the Chapman family discussing their upcoming betrothals over multiple games at the domino table and all felt right and comfortable at home.
1328
Possibly the most eventful year out of the entire decade, the Chapmans had two weddings to procure this year! They began with a spring wedding inside the Mahlsberg inn where Lavina and Bobby tied the knot. The celebration was a great success and the night had a merriment of cake, drinks and laughter. Linyeve was missing from this affair and Byrhtnoth worried for his daughter's safety. Lavina faced the awkwardness of her first night as a married woman with her husband and we learned more about Bobby's history with women. Lavina became a Smith and began living with her husband in Lughaven while life carried on on the Chapman farm.
Byrhtnoth celebrated his forty-seventh birthday and the Chapman lads initiated a remodeling of their home. They moved the horses inside their large farmhouse and built a guest house entirely out of wood. Soon after the construction concluded Lavina came around to tell her family that she was pregnant with her first child! February also celebrated her fifth birthday and made Linyeve crack a smile through her grief. As Byrhtnoth finalised the last details of Osuald's and Lana's wedding the young boy had to take on more responsibilities on the farm and found himself very tired.
The day finally came and the two families gathered inside the Lughaven church to carry out the wedding. The wedding was far more calm and quaint compared to Lavina's and Lana was delighted to be married under the eyes of The Watcher. The wedding finished off inside the Lughaven tavern and at the end of the night Lana returned with the Chapmans to their home. Byrhtnoth gave the teens some space to carry out the consummation of their marriage and the pair witnessed a deep connection between each other.
1329
The decade concluded with Lana settling down very comfortably into the routine and lifestyle of the Chapmans. Just as spring had sprung she experienced some strong bouts of nausea and was aided by Byrhtnoth with dietary changes that eased her symptoms. Osuald suggested to visit her parents as she hadn't seen them since her wedding and her father commented on her unique glow. After quoting a passage from the scripture of The Watcher her father implied that she was with child. It was confirmed to be the case when her monthly bleed failed to show and so she broke the news to Osuald who was overjoyed.
Lavina had given birth to a baby boy which she named Glen early in the year but faced grief as he passed away from a birth defect. This did not stop her from continuing to expand her family as she found herself pregnant once more. As Lana's baby bump grew she helped out on the farm by watering the plants and being a pleasant presence for the lads. And before they knew it she began to go into labor! After a night of pushing she gave birth to a healthy baby boy which they named Bercthun. Osuald was beyond proud of his wife for stepping up into her motherly role with ease and when he asked his father if she was just as good as his mother was they had a slight argument.
During Byrhtnoth's visit to the keep to deliver their quarterly produce he learned that Shavonne had been married off early due to her delinquency and she had had a daughter who she named Wilnothe. More baby news followed as Byrhtnoth went to meet his new granddaughter for the first time in the Smith household. The parents named her Gisla and she was born healthy. Before the year ended, while Byrhtnoth was away on duty, Osuald and Lana found themselves alone at home and found some time for intimacy. They played it off like nothing had happened during Byrhtnoth's absence and finished the decade with a friendly game of Dominoes.
Conclusion:
We got to successfully watch Osuald and Lavina, the youngest of the Chapman children, grow up into teens and get married to some wonderful people. Linyeve also met the love of her life and faced many challenges with him as they welcomed and lost several children. Byrhtnoth is now an elder and only has so many years left to live. He will remain at home and spend his last years easing away from the farmwork and instead minding his grandchildren. Osuald's and Lavina's family lives are just beginning... what awaits them in the next decade? Only time will tell... Here is the status on all of the family members we saw throughout this chapter:
Byrhtnoth Chapman - 1281 to Present - alive, 48 years old
Linyeve Chapman - 1303 to Present - alive, 26 years old
Frank Bruceus - 1301 to Present - alive, 28 years old
Shavonne Bruceus - 1317 to present - alive, 12 years old
Osuald Chapman - 1313 to present - alive, 16 years old
Lavina Chapman - 1315 to present - alive, 14 years old
January Dodson - 1322 to 1322 - died from a fever at 9 months old
February Dodson - 1323 to present - alive, 6 years old
April Dodson - 1324 to 1324 - died from a cot death at 2 months old
Greyson - 1325 - family horse died from old age
Silvian - 1326 to present - family horse - alive, 3 years old
October Dodson - 1326 to 1327 - died from a drop at 10 months old
Beauty - 1327 - family horse died from old age
Glen Smith - 1329 to 1329 - died from a birth defect at 1 week old
Bercthun Chapman - 1329 to present - alive, 4 months old
Wilnothe Jacobs - 1329 to present - alive, 2 months old
Gisla Smith - 1329 to present - alive, 1 month old
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