1326 - Sowing the Seeds of Love
Author's note: This ended up being quite a long chapter so make sure you have a snack or a warm drink to accompany you with this read! I hope you enjoy <3
After months of hiding away from the subzero temperatures during the winter the snow thawed out and brought on a period of fog. Praaven's air grew warmer but the soil was still frozen over and so the tall English mountains became obscured by the sudden condensation.
With the year's first month passing like a blur Byrhtnoth got straight back into the farmwork, despite not being able to see his hand in front of his face somedays. He maintained the stables and fed the chickens and in the puddles of water that scattered the muddy ground of their land he noticed his aging.
He was nearing his forty fifth year and his face wasn't shying away from any wrinkles, especially brought on by the many years of farming under the sun and countless tragedies he had witnessed throughout his life. He stroked each deep line with his coarse fingers when he studied his reflection and witnessed a flood of lifetime experiences that each crease represented.
And yet these wrinkles bunched together more in recent days with every grin he made as he found joy in the little things. Even though the music box gifted by Frank and Shavonne was a present for Lavina Byrhtnoth would find himself winding up the dial and experiencing the Praavenite melody in his spare time. He stood and swayed to the rhythm of the folk song and even hummed along to it on occasion, memories of his childhood and beyond dancing in his mind.
In these early months there were two pieces of news that brought the Chapmans joy. The first being that Shavonne had royally celebrated her tenth birthday and was swiftly growing to be a darling young lady. When Byrhtnoth and Osuald spotted her at the castle square during one of their quarterly deliveries to the castle she had changed her appearance slightly.
She maintained the same curled hairstyle yet she pinned in the metallic decorations that Osuald gifted her a few months back in between her golden strands of hair, the same shades of blonde as her late mother Pipa. It was evident that she was influenced by the royal fashions as she began to paint her cheeks rosier than they naturally were, similar to how Queen Magda and Queen Dowager Mary-Anne looked. And most of all, to adhere to her developing body, she sported a brand new fancy dress, still in a gorgeous vermillion shade but even more decorated than ever.
Byrhtnoth's heart skipped a beat when he saw her again for her appearance was growing to look insanely similar to Pipa's. All she was missing was the careful little freckles that her mother's face had and the hazel-brown eyes, other than that they could be considered twins.
On the other side of the land there was news of another pregnancy! Linyeve and August bore news that they were expecting another little baby. They admitted that they had taken a short break as Linyeve grieved her previous losses, causing a minor tension between the pair in that time, but that they were ready to welcome another little girl or boy into their home. February was just as excited and began to suggest what to call her sibling when the day comes.
With plenty of work to do on the farm, and with Osuald growing and showing his independence fondly, Byrhtnoth decided that it was time his son experienced a fishing trip solo. He gave him the honour one sunny March morning, when the fog finally evaporated back into the rivers and lakes, and Osuald graciously accepted the opportunity.
He went to prepare Gloria for a trip and she refused to be saddled up. It was strange, she was always ready to go for a ride, especially with Osuald, but today she retreated back into the stable. Osuald alerted his father about this situation but couldn't stay for the assessment as the daytime was dwindling and he planned a long trip ahead of him so he rode Beauty instead.
He decided to go where he had never ventured with his father before and packed accordingly. There was speak among the many fishermen of Praaven that there was an abundance of fish in the mountain lake just past Lughaven and Osuald just had to see for himself. In the last year his body naturally developed more muscle, as all growing boys do one day, and he felt he could handle himself well in any altercation that could occur on the roads, Watcher forbid.
It was just as Osuald reached the lake high in the mountains that Byrhtnoth came to check on Gloria and noticed that she was in... labor?! His mind blanked for a moment, how did they not notice that she was pregnant? Perhaps with the loss of Greyson and the many festivities that happened during winter they lost track of it all. He assumed that she had gotten pregnant on one of her many free gallops around their general vicinity but there was no time to debate the details, he had to assist her in labor!
The little foal arrived quickly once Byrhtnoth got involved and it was a darling little boy. He called over Lavina to come see the delivery and she was gobsmacked with how adorable the new addition to their stable looked. They cleaned the babe up and let him rest with his mother among the hay and bountiful carrots and pondered a name. Lavina eventually came up with the name Silvian and her father agreed on her choice.
Up in the hills Osuald breathed in the clean mountain air and caught himself some fish he had never witnessed on his line before. There were plenty of large pikes that he wrangled out of the waters and he fantasised about how delicious they would taste over the fire. Once his basket was full to the brim he packed on up, pat Beauty with praise as she waited peacefully beside him and travelled on home.
It was at this moment he got the most picturesque and panoramic view of the city he had ever seen. The setting sun rolled beyond the horizon and hugged the city's towers and a haze sat across the fields. There it was, the castle and its walls in all of its glory. Osuald would forever be in awe how a structure like that could look so massive from all sorts of distances and he wished he could capture this moment in a frame for eternity.
As the boy arrived home he saw Lavina guiding little Silvian around their land to stretch his wobbly legs. His face twisted into confusion and Lavina announced to her brother,
"Gloria had a baby! Meet Silvian." She gestured to the foal and Osuald approached it gently after dismounting Beauty.
"Gloria?" he asked inquisitively. "Our Gloria?"
"We were just as surprised as you, Oz." Silvian was a brave little foal and accepted Osuald's gentle stroke as Gloria watched from afar. Although they got used to there only being two horses left in the stable the last few months it felt right again to have the number go back to three.
In the coming months the work on the farm doubled. Crops had to be maintained, horses needed to be fed and, as always, plenty of chores to finish inside the home. And in between all of the work the Chapmans all found time to indulge in some of their hobbies.
Lavina was growing to be quite proficient with some paint and a brush and was continuously inspired by the lush greenery that grew all around her. Her father even joked that if she were born in Frank's family perhaps she would have grown to be an illuminator working on various scripts of The Watcher.
Conversations were also growing to be far more interesting among the maturing teens and their father as they had their meals at the table in the kitchen. One early summer morning as Lavina was plating up their morning cranberry porridge Byrhtnoth asked his son a question,
"Have you been able to cross paths with Lana on your recent travels?"
"Unfortunately not," said Osuald, shaking his head. "I'm not surprised as I haven't been to the city in quite some time, and from what she has told me, she is a true lady of her house."
"There's some good in what you said there," smiled Byrhtnoth before thanking his daughter for their meal. "You seemed to really like her after our gift giving celebration, don't let the spark die down."
Lavina sat next to her brother and blew across the surface of her hot porridge before chiming in, "Hey, none of you told me that Osuald has a crush on Lana!"
"It wasn't something for you to know," grinned Osuald with one eyebrow raised. "Who are you crushing on? Perhaps that dark-haired boy your age that lives at the fishmongers?"
"Ewww, no!" recoiled Lavina. "That boy smells like fish day and night! I can't stand to be near him!"
"What's wrong with fish?" asked Byrhtnoth, pretending to look pained by her comment.
"When you have to butcher and clean it every day the smell of it doesn't leave your skin..." She stirred her spoon slowly through the porridge before shaking her head. "Can we change the subject? I'm about to lose my appetite." The boys laughed at her and instead discussed what their plans were for the day.
Osuald planned to continue to fish alone, rarely accompanied by his father around this time, and was honestly excited to have some time to think. His father was right, he shouldn't let the spark that occurred between himself and Lana die, and with every day that passed since the party, it was close to extinguishing. As Gloria was still nurturing baby Silvian he saddled up Beauty and they gently trotted over to the local pond.
Unfortunately by the time he arrived to the pond some rain began to drizzle and get his clothes a little damp. He found a somewhat sheltered place to stand as he fished, close to the trunk of a large oak tree. Beauty lingered close by as she also didn't much like to be rained on. That afternoon he devised a plan on how to see Lana.
He didn't know where she lived so he couldn't just arrive unannounced. He remembered that her family are butchers, perhaps he could find her or her father at the Praaven market? Or perhaps they owned their own shoppe where they sold their produce? They have been earning enough coin and managing with their food stores well thus far, would cutting his fishing day short be any blow to their wellbeing?
By the time the rain ceased, but the sky remaining a dark grey hue, he pat Beauty on the back and decided to rush over to the city, get there early enough before Lana's potential store closes for the day. He started at the Praaven town square and see if he recognised any faces. When that failed he went to any tradesmen he knew and asked if they heard of a Grady Bacon to which they gave him a positive answer. One conversation led to another and he was standing in front of Lana's father, a handsome man who wore a lightly blood stained apron and who stood behind a counter decorated with various sausages and meats.
Osuald introduced himself and explained why he was there. He reminisced on how Lana and he met and wished to see her again, admitting his gentle attraction to her, to which her father was surprisingly excitable about. He promised to escort her to the Mahlsberg tavern for them to meet again a week from now and Osuald gave his many thanks to Grady. As he hopped back onto Beauty's back he felt a rush of butterflies flutter in his chest once again and he galloped back home with his mind filled with thoughts of Lana.
In that same day, when Byrhtnoth and Lavina were finished with their duties, they shared a conversation. It had been a while since they paid their respects to their fallen relatives and Byrhtnoth offered his daughter a trip to the Lughaven church. She smiled and accepted the invitation and off they went, travelling on foot.
They walked through the cemetery gates and along the church walls before they saw the numerous headstones that belonged to their family. Lavina hadn't ever visited her fallen relatives before, or at least she didn't remember, as her father reminded her that they visited her mother's grave when she was only a couple years old. In a way she was thankful that she didn't remember any of it but the grief felt fresher than ever.
CW: grieving, mentions of death
Perhaps it was because she had her first brush of death with Greyson a year ago or because she had never met her mother and wished she did but she began to sob. All of these emotions had been hidden deep inside of her and now they were being released. Byrhtnoth stood and cried beside her, perhaps not as loud and violently as his daughter but crying nonetheless. They both mourned not being able to see or speak to their mother, wife, sisters, brothers, children, all but names etched into cold stone now.
CW over.
Once their eyes turned dry it was only the whistling breeze that shook the leaves in the trees surrounding them that filled the empty space. The Lughaven cemetery was never busy, with only one passerby that they would see on the roads next to the church, and so they enjoyed the solitude. Or so they thought...
As Byrhtnoth took a glance around at the scenery he noticed an object shifting in the distance. He squinted his eyes and suddenly the object elongated. It was a man in a cream coloured tunic that was hunched over a grave, now standing tall. Was he there the whole time? No need to ask, it's a graveyard after all and everyone grieves differently, no need to be embarrassed of their weeping.
The men locked eyes from a distance and the unfamiliar man gave a gentle wave in the Chapman's direction. Lavina noticed the encounter and shifted her glance between her father and the stranger. Byrhtnoth waved back and decided he was in a friendly mood, moving his legs to approach the visitor. As they stood in front of one another he extended a hand,
"Watcher be with you."
"And also with you," responded the young man. Now that Byrhtnoth stood close to him he got a memory of seeing his face before only he was far younger than he appeared to be now.
"It is a pleasure to meet you, my name is Byrhtnoth Chapman."
"And I am Bobby Smith. I have heard of your name among the folk of Lughaven, or what remains of us."
"Your name and face look familiar... are you the son of the blacksmith that lives a few minutes uphill from here?" asked Byrhtnoth with an interested look.
"Yes! You must have visited him from time to time," smiled Bobby, happy to have the mystery of their recognition solved. "I haven't seen you come around in a while so you may not know that he has passed since you last saw him; the famine was his demise." Bobby looked down at the grave he was visiting and there it was, the name of his father. But he did not lay alone, a feminine name was written there also, alongside several others.
"Goodness, I'm deeply sorry for your loss," spoke Byrhtnoth with sorrow as he realised how many relatives Bobby had to bury. "I know the famine had not been kind on any folk of Praaven but... by The Watcher, you have mourned aplenty."
"Yes, that is undeniable," sighed Bobby but flashed a brave smile. It was at this moment that Lavina finally decided to join the men in their conversation and walked on over. She bowed gently to the gentleman and awaited for an introduction.
"Lavina, this is Bobby. He is the son of a blacksmith I used to know. Bobby, this is my daughter, Lavina." Bobby bowed back with a hand on his belly,
"It is a pleasure to meet you, my lady." Lavina giggled, she had never been addressed as if she was a noble girl and it was novel to her.
"Oh please," she began as she finished her laughter, "I'm no lady!"
"Well, you have long hair and wear pretty dresses... doesn't that make you a lady?" joked Bobby and Byrhtnoth joined in to the laughter.
"Alright, you win this argument," conceded Lavina with a smile and a shrug.
"So, tell me Bobby, how has your life shaped to be as you grew older?" asked Byrhtnoth, eager to learn more about this handsome fellow.
"Well, I took everything I learned from my father while he was alive and continued to improve on it, taking over the smithy with pride," explained Bobby. "After the many deaths my family faced I was left with my grandmother from my father's side, she had a bit of knowledge of the various metals so she guided me further... Watcher rest her soul."
"When did she pass?" asked Lavina gently, pity in her eyes.
"Just last year... now I am all alone at home," said Bobby as he looked down at the graves again. "It's been uncanny but I am of marrying age now so I hope to fill my empty hall with some my offspring soon enough." Byrhtnoth smiled and gave a glance to Lavina who listened intently.
"I have a son who will be marrying soon also, hopefully to the girl he has taken an interest in just recently."
"I wish you and your son good luck in that endeavour," said Bobby as he flashed a genuine smile. They traded a few more stories before Lavina had to interrupt and say that the sun was setting fast.
Bobby shared his pleasure of the conversation they shared and hoped that he would meet them both again soon, inviting them to his smithy if they need any assistance with metalwork. He was even open to share a hug with Byrhtnoth but remained respectful with Lavina, taking her hand and giving it a soft kiss, which made her blush a little. They parted ways and made their way home.
When they stepped inside they met Osuald who had just finished his portion of fish stew and asked where they had been. They traded their news from the day and Byrhtnoth congratulated his son for taking initiative in seeking out the girl he wanted and extended a suggestion to escort him to the tavern when the day comes. He backed his reasoning up as to wanting to meet her father himself and Osuald agreed.
Osuald excused himself from the kitchen and mentioned he wanted to take a bath after a long journey and feel clean before bed and Byrhtnoth allowed him to go. Lavina poured a hearty portion for herself and her father and they spoke a little as they chewed their fish,
"What are your thoughts on this Bobby character we met today?" asked Byrhtnoth in a chipper tone.
"He was very well mannered," spoke Lavina diplomatically. "It was tragic to hear him lose so many relatives but he seems to have come out of it all very strong."
"Did you hear that he was saying he was looking for a partner?" Lavina stopped chewing and looked at her father who winked at her. "C'mon, he's a man, you'll be a woman soon... you're practically a match made in... um, where is it that The Watcher grants people eternal life?"
"Heaven?" answered Lavina skeptically.
"Yes!" spat Byrhtnoth enthusiastically. "A match made in heaven, forgive me." He wiped his facial hair with his sleeve and swallowed, changing to a more somber tone,
"If I were to set you up to marry Bobby Smith... would you accept?"
Lavina didn't exactly know how to answer such a question, and to be completely honest she was growing irritated by her father's tonal shifts on this topic. She spooned her last mouthful of stew in her mouth and thought as she chewed, her father not taking his eyes off of her as he waited. She swallowed,
"I don't know anything about him, father..."
"I didn't know much about your mother either, when we married." This came as quite a shock to Lavina, from what she had heard her mother and father were inseparable, perfectly compatible... could that be possible even when you don't learn anything about the person before a marriage? Byrhtnoth dropped his spoon into his empty bowl.
"And look how well it worked out for us. Lavina... he really seems like a wonderful man, probably one of the best you could find that would be suitable to marry you. There's no rush, you're still incredibly young, but have a think about it."
"I will," she answered in a small voice. Her bleed hadn't even started and her father wanted to talk about who she would marry. She suddenly felt like everything Osuald told her about Marissa's mother was reflected in her father's words over dinner that night. She stayed quiet, cleared the dishes, and went to bed, winding the music box for just a quick melody before going to sleep.
Byrhtnoth awoke in a sweat. He felt beads of it drip down his forehead as he stirred awake. He knew that summer had arrived but for it to be this hot at night? Something wasn't right. He finally opened his eyes, curious of the surroundings that made him uncomfortable and there it was.
The ghost of Greyson stood in his room, transparent and blue in hue. He rocked his head as a greeting and let out an echoed snort. Byrhtnoth startled fully awake and leapt out of bed, his back against the wall. Another bead of sweat fell down his eyebrow, the salty drop getting caught in the hairs. He observed the ghost, or vision, or Greyson or whatever it was before him and felt uneasy.
He rushed to climb down the stairs to get away from the horse and once his feet were on the ground he saw the ghost slip through the floorboards and float on down to his level. Why wouldn't it leave him alone? Was this the reason for his fever? Byrhtnoth's bedtime tunic clung to his back from the heat and he skulked around the horse trying to get to the fireplace to quell the flames heating the room.
But only the fire was not lit. The hearth emitted a glow but there was no fire or warmth to be seen or felt. Byrhtnoth only felt his skin getting hotter and more damp with no reprieve and he felt a panic set in. Another echoed snort called out from behind him and so he looked into Greyson's eyes. They were opaque and blue-grey in colour, somewhat similar to what they were like when he was alive. The horse moved his head as to beckon him over to touch him and was suddenly compelled to do so.
The horse's skin was cool to the touch, exactly what Byrhtnoth needed. His hands would slightly blur through Greyson's ghostly skin but it didn't matter to him, he only wanted the end to his feverish sensations. He rubbed the horse's snout and got nuzzled back, his sweat on his neck evaporating into a cool mist. Byrhtnoth sighed with relief, the fever had ended and the fear had subsided... but what exactly was happening here?
Byrhtnoth awoke again, back in bed. He half sat up in bed and looked around all perplexed, expecting to see a ghostly presence standing in his room once again. He was met with an empty room and gentle chirping from the birds outside signifying that morning had come. His short hair was plastered to his forehead from sweat and his tunic clung close to his body. Then the aching followed. He fell back into bed and grunted out of annoyance. It seemed that Byrhtnoth came down with a malady.
The day when Osuald would reunite with Lana had finally come. He had only a week to wait before they met again but it dragged on like it was a full month. Byrhtnoth had promised to accompany him to the tavern to meet Lana and primarily meet her father for the first time but in his condition he was not fit to travel, let alone socialise. Osuald promised to excuse his absence and bid him farewell.
Lavina cared for her father with all her heart. She made him some warm soup with extra onion and various medicinal herbs and made sure he got the rest he needed. She also washed all of his tunics and bedspreads that he sweat into throughout the nights he was ill. Byrhtnoth was afraid that his youngest daughter would fall under the same disease as him but she stayed strong throughout. Thankfully it seemed to just be a sort of influenza that got him run down and within a week he was right as rain.
While her father slept Lavina continued to gently care for their newest addition to their family, little Silvian. He needed just as much brushing, treats and love as any other horse did and Lavina delivered. He seemed to grow larger and stronger everyday and never left his mother's side.
Across the rolling Praaven hills Osuald made his way into Mahlsberg. A thundering rain started pouring down on him just as he clopped on down the main road of the village and quickly ushered himself and Beauty into the sheltered stables that connected to the inn. He entered through the back door and shook off any rain that dripped from his hair and glanced around.
Lana and her father hadn't arrived yet, it seemed, so Osuald tried to shake off his growing nerves by ordering a mild ale. The innkeeper uttered a question to the boy about how old he was in a half joking tone but ultimately served him the drink once he saw his coin on the table. Osuald leaned on the innkeeper's table and stared down at his ale, watching the froth's bubbles pop with every second, and waited for his girl to arrive.
All of a sudden a lilted voice called out Osuald's name and he quickly turned to see Lana and her father entering the tavern's front door. He left his ale behind and bowed to Lana before shaking hands with her father. He introduced himself as Grady Bacon and asked the young boy where his father was to which he confided in his wellbeing. Grady extended his wishes for a speedy recovery but let it be known he was still happy to have come to meet Osuald.
Grady spoke with just as many references to The Watcher as did Lana and Osuald tried to mimic the way of speaking to appease Lana's father. They had a pleasant chat filled with introductions and general knowledge of one another before Grady got interrupted by a longtime client of his who was sitting at one of the tables in the inn.
"Would you excuse me, kids? He's one of the many men that keeps my business afloat," shared Grady. "Feel free to spend a moment alone while I catch up over here." The young couple thanked him and watched him walk away and sit down next to the unfamiliar man, clinking tankards and yelling greetings to one another.
"There he goes... I swear he knows every single man in every village around here," shrugged Lana with a smile.
"I'm not complaining," confessed Osuald, his lips curling into a cheeky grin, "I didn't expect us to have much time to talk alone but... this is the perfect outcome." Lana giggled in response and Osuald extended an offering to buy her a drink. She declined any alcoholic drinks so the innkeeper offered her some barley water which she accepted. They sipped their drinks for a bit and looked around before continuing to chat again.
"I had thought a lot about you during the winter months," shared Osuald with his romantic interest. "I didn't want the night to end when we talked last, there's still so much I want to learn about you."
"I'm honoured that you would say such a thing because... I had thoughts of you also." Lana blushed as she said it and tried to hide her reddening cheeks by taking a sip of her drink. Osuald's heart began to race. He didn't know much about love, or what to do in situations like these, but all he knew was that he was compelled to be honest about his feelings for her to the best of his abilities.
Osuald leaned in closer to Lana when he said, "With The Watcher as my witness I can honestly tell you I haven't met a lady so pretty, delicate, faithful, in both senses... and just seeming like a perfect match for me." Lana began to twirl her ebony locks in between her fingers. "A match made in heaven," Osuald finished, echoing his father's words.
"Oh, Osuald," said Lana almost out of breath from flattery, "I'm afraid you may be coming on too strong for my heart to manage."
"Is that a bad thing?" he questioned.
"N-no, not exactly, it's just... intense." She finally met his gaze and felt herself melt into her chair from his loving look. "I don't think I've ever heard my father speak to my step-mother that way."
"Neither have I exactly, with my father and my mother. But he has told me so much about how much he sang his praises about her, about the love he had for her, and I'm feeling like my heart may be building up the same for you."
Before Osuald could inch any closer to Lana, Grady slammed his tankard back onto the table next to them. "So, munchkins, what have I missed?" They both looked at each other, at a true loss for words, and Osuald decided to take the lead.
"I was just admitting to her how much I think she's an absolutely wonderful lady, you did a wonderful job raising her to be the most idyllic person I have ever laid eyes on." Lana's eyes widened, how could he continue being so straightforward and honest, especially to her father? Was this boy under a spell?
"By The Watcher, boy... I think you're in love!" announced Grady.
And soon the Chapman home returned back to what it once was. Byrhtnoth had fully recovered from his ailments and returned to work the fields, rain or sunshine. They yielded a fantastic bounty of vegetables and turned out a favourable profit while managing to stock up their stores for several winters if needed. He was especially given a sizable cut on their tallage for the year due to the harvest he delivered to the royal family and things only felt like they were coming up for him and his family.
Osuald continued fishing alone and leaving Gloria behind to nurture her little foal. Silvian was halfway to maturity now so soon enough he would be trained to handle a saddle and enjoy riding across Praaven. But for now he grew into his body and waddled around the Chapman's farmland without a care.
The young boy visited the city more often than usual and even on days when he needn't be there just to catch a glimpse of his love. It still hadn't been announced that they were courting one another but it seemed likely that Lana was planned and destined to be his future wife. No rumours were muttered about her regarding infidelity, unrightful marriage or anything of a sinful nature. She truly was perfect in Osuald's eyes.
And before they knew it the snow fell from the sky and dusted the ground with its white appearance. It didn't stop Osuald from fishing for a little longer than needed but after a day of desperately trying to keep his toes from freezing into icicles he called it quits.
As the work on the fields concluded Byrhtnoth turned his hands to fiddle with some wood work. He had some maintenance to do on some household items that had sprung a leak or fashioned a crack but he also got to work on the biggest and latest trend in Praaven: Dominoes.
The last time he visited King Sidgurd he was introduced to this game of dotted rectangles and he was very amused. It was growing to be a popular mental sport, often popular with the various gamblers which wasn't ideal, but it could easily be enjoyed by all members of the family. He understood that a Domino table didn't need to be anything fancy but he wanted it to last many generations and so he got to work.
It turned out to be an early gift to all of the family from Byrhtnoth and he quickly taught his children how to play. The lacquered and polished table soon became the entertainment of the season as they shared many laughs and arguments across the table and planned to keep track of who gets the most wins among other things.
And soon, one October evening, August came around with some wonderful news once more... Linyeve gave birth to a healthy baby girl. Byrhtnoth chuckled a little harder than he should have, only because he really saw Linyeve to be her mother's daughter with how many little girls she had welcomed into the world. The naming tradition continued and they named her October.
CW: death anniversary, mourning.
The date of Eddida's death anniversary crept closer and Byrhtnoth was floored when he realised that she had passed ten years ago. The fact that she hasn't lived amongst the walls of their family home for a full decade brought deep sorrow to his heart and he began to feel a heaviness in his chest. This didn't go unnoticed by his children and so Lavina came up with a suggestion.
"Father, I can see how much this is hurting you," she spoke with a tented brow as they breathed the cool air outside. "I hate to stand idly by, and I know I cannot remove your sorrow, but I feel like we should honour your daughter by visiting her grave and leaving an offering for The Watcher."
Byrhtnoth didn't say a word, he just nodded gently and took his daughter's hand, leading her inside to get dressed and venture to the Lughaven cemetery. As they walked Lavina's gaze floated all around, admiring the beauty of a Praaven winter amongst the crunchy snow, barren trees and frosty breath as they walked.
Her father on the other hand was swimming in thoughts of everything that could not be, the life his daughter had been stolen of by the famine, what his other daughters and wife had been stolen of also. He bit his lip and blinked away tears as they trudged through the various layers of snow and soon they arrived.
A light layer of crystals of ice settled in the grooves of the headstones that lay before them, turning the grey stone into an almost light shade of blue. There it was, the numbers 1316 etched into Eddida's grave. A full ten years later her father, older and more grey, and her sister, almost the same age as when she passed away, stood in mourning.
Then the tears flowed out. Byrhtnoth couldn't remember the last time he cried this hard, he thinks he didn't even cry this hard when his wife died for he had to stay a pillar for his small children at the time. Lavina held onto her father and shed tears alongside him. She didn't know Eddida at all but she mourned the fact she never met her and the fact that her father still carried so much grief in his soul.
Eventually Lavina placed down some pink cosmos that were still in bloom this time of the year and laid it close to her mother's grave. "Do you think you'd like to come back here on Olyff's anniversary?" she suddenly asked Byrhtnoth.
"I'm- I'm not sure," he sniffled back. "If the weather allows it."
"Let's honour her memory while we're here also," smiled back Lavina.
"And Pipa's too, she died just a month before your mother did." They both nodded and spent several more minutes there, thinking of everything they wished they could say to their fallen relatives, until they had to retreat inside before they endured frostbite.
CW over.
They found themselves visiting the local tavern in Lughaven for a quick drink to warm themselves up with. It was mulled wine season once more so Byrhtnoth ordered two cups for himself and his daughter. The place was surprisingly busy and so the Chapmans stood and talked with their beverages in hand, warming every joint in their fingers.
Lavina continued their day of remembrance and asked her father to tell her some stories, stories of laughter and joy he shared with Olyff, Eddida, Pipa and even her younger siblings like Teffan, Cyneswith and Mabel. It was important to the Chapmans to be aware of their family tree and Byrhtnoth was proud of his daughter for remembering all of the names of her siblings, even if she never had the chance to meet them.
The story that came first to his lips was the night he heard that Olyff was pregnant with Osuald. He shared how he genuinely thought that they would never have children again until The Watcher blessed them with two little miracles they called Osuald and Lavina. He especially remembered how inebriated he was as it was the eve of Pipa's wedding when the news was shared and joked how he believed his wife was just pulling his leg about it. Lavina couldn't help but smile throughout the story and asked for more.
As soon as he finished reminiscing the door to the tavern swung open and a gust of cool air made their skin grow goosebumps. A gaggle of ladies entered with hoods protecting them from the cold and they all let their hair loose once inside. One girl in particular looked very much like Lana and at a second glance it really was her!
In that moment Byrhtnoth so desperately wanted Osuald to be accompanying them so Lana could brighten up his day but it was like this whole scene was an act by The Watcher as Osuald entered the building. He first saw his family and approached them, explaining how he had just finished his last day of fishing for the year and was surprised to see them both here. His father gestured to the innkeeper and that's when Osuald spotted her, Lana in all of her beauty.
He approached her and she was thoroughly surprised, extending a warm hug in his direction. She shared that she was enduring an annual pilgrimage to all of the holy places around Praaven with her female entourage as they did just weeks before the holy day of The Watcher. Osuald was forever intrigued how faithful his darling crush could be and praised her for her devotion.
They got chatting about all of the things they had to catch up on, any missed birthdays or additions to the family, any drama that had happened in their areas, and how they were generally keeping. Lana shared that her father had been very impressed by him the last time they met and was eager to meet again when the weather lightened up.
"Tell your father we have the newest and latest craze across the land," he began, a perplexed expression on Lana's face. He leaned in closer and whispered it into her ear,
"Dominoes." She stepped back and analysed his face before bursting into laughter. She found it adorable to see her crush think that this is the thing that would win her father over. If only he knew that her family has had a domino table since two years ago...
P.S. If you have read my Bachelor Challenge chapters... yes, Bobby is the bachelor from my story xD I love creating new sims for challenges but I especially love to reintroduce previously made sims into new saves! I changed his genetics very slightly but kept his name :P
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