1330 - The Chapman Feast
The timber home housed echoes of cries that erupted from Bercthun's little mouth during the cold winter months. The only child of Lana and Osuald had grown old enough to begin his months of teething hence he would fuss and wake his darling mother. Lana had the patience of a saint, probably something she learned at a very young age as she was so devoted to The Watcher, and she attempted to soothe her baby boy anytime he called for her.
In between her short periods of slumber she would rise out her bed, glance outside to get an idea of what time of night or day it was, and begin to handle her wee babe. Each time Bercthun cried she would take some pig lard that her father gifted her last year and massage her baby's gums. The salty taste would distract him from the mildly unpleasant act that she carried out and soon he was calm... but not for long.
Regardless of this fussing he was growing to be a healthy and strong boy, kicking in his crib and trying to break free from the swaddle that his mother constrained him in. He was still far too young to speak his first word but by The Watcher did he try! Everyone was enamoured by him and the Chapman men loved to spend time with the baby in his calm moments before promptly handing him back to Lana when he cried out for her attention.
In the month when Bercthun was the most displeased by his first set of teeth growing in Osuald was shocked at how well he could hear his son scream from the other house. He would take pity in his wife handling the unsatiable baby and completed some of his wife's chores, such as cooking breakfast or cleaning the bowls after meals. She was always grateful for his attention and care and every praise from her made Osuald feel like the luckiest man alive.
One early February evening, when the sun would still set early and the frost had almost dissipated away from the air, Osuald came in to check on his wife and his son in the wooden home he had built almost two years ago now. It had settled down nicely into the farm's soil and stood as a mighty structure, a perfect accompaniment to their large farmhouse next door.
As he finished climbing the ladder he spotted Lana rocking Bercthun to sleep and she gave a nod in her husband's direction as a hello. Osuald made his way to the fire and warmed his hands as he waited for his wife to place their child into the crib and finally have a moment to speak. Several minutes later she did just that and met her husband by the fire, speaking in hushed tones to him,
"He seems tuckered out after all of the crying he did today," she began quietly. "I think he'll be asleep for a good hour before he even thinks of waking again." Osuald began to pull her into an embrace slowly as she finished speaking.
"I'm so proud of you for handling his every cry," he whistled back. "I don't know how you have the strength to endure his shrieks, I could never."
"It's simply a mother's instinct," responded Lana sincerely. "I would never be able to let Bercthun just scream his throat raw." She pulled away to look into Osuald's eyes.
"But enough of that... I've missed you today." She really had. She had practically been fully cooped up inside what was planned to be the guest house and she was craving some interactions and talks that did not involve babies. Osuald smiled back,
"I missed you too, oh so dearly." He leaned in for a quick kiss, Lana's incredibly soft lips bouncing off of his, and they smiled at each other before Osuald interrupted the moment once again.
"You mentioned that you think he'll be fast asleep for an hour, right?" he asked, Lana nodded. "Brilliant, then follow me."
Osuald began to lead his young wife down the ladder and straight outside. Once they were out in the crisp air he pulled her to the side of the timber home and they found themselves near enough where their stables used to be. The soil had reclaimed the once dusty and hay filled spot and grew new blades of grass along the perimeter of the demolished old structure.
"The clouds have parted ways tonight, let us watch the stars for a while." Lana's face brightened up at her partner's offer and she promptly crossed her legs underneath her skirt and plopped onto the ground. The pair sat close to one another but Osuald wanted to be even closer.
He glanced over at Lana, head tilted upwards already as she scanned the constellations, and watched her curious expression for a moment. He then took his left hand and placed it on her right, whose fingers nestled in between the short grass stalks, and she flinched ever so slightly. Osuald looked away, trying his best to appear nonchalant, while Lana's face changed to surprise. Once he felt her looking at him he turned to her with a cheeky expression and watched as her eyes flickered between their point of contact and his face.
They eventually scooted close to one another and stretched out their legs to lay comfortably, holding themselves up by their arms behind them. One of each of their arms remained pressed together as they scanned the sky and Lana would on occasion rest her head delicately on her husband's shoulder. Each time she would do that Osuald would sigh, the feeling of love building up in his chest and making it tight for a moment.
"There is the canis major," Osuald suddenly said, talking into Lana's ear. He guided his finger around the stars to connect them and she leaned closer to his face to see exactly what he saw. "It is best seen around this time of the year, and there it is."
Lana hmm-ed at his observation and tried to find a constellation she recognised also. "I think that is the... ursa minor?" She pointed to what looked like a square ladle and Osuald leaned towards her now to study what she gestured towards. She was right, it was faint but it was there.
The clouds weren't all gone from the sky but they were sporadic throughout the dark, appearing in hues of dark grey and taking on slender shapes. The pair tried to see if any of them reminded of silhouettes they would see in their everyday life but it was tricky to compare.
CW: brief descriptions of kissing and sex.
Suddenly Lana whispered into Osuald's ear, covering her mouth with her hand, to tell him a dirty joke of how one of the clouds was shaped in a phallic manner. It was the last thing the husband expected to hear from his somewhat innocent and worshiping wife and he bounced forward in laughter, covering his smile with a free hand. As he looked back at her she had a somewhat suggestive look on her face and so he launched in for a kiss.
They fell backwards onto the grass, Osuald cupping his hand on the back of Lana's head in an attempt to let her lay down gently beneath him, and he kissed her. Passionately, tenderly, yet quickening with each smooch she received from him. Her arms tightened around his back and then his neck and she took pleasure in feeling his hands wander across her clothed body, sometimes finding their way under some layers of her pleated dress.
Osuald came up for air, taking a break from their intimacy and studied his wife's expression under the moonlight. It was dark but her glass blue eyes pierced through the shadows and they only looked like they longed for more. It was a fact that with the more attention that Bercthun needed, especially in his teething days, the less they had romantic moments like these. And although Lana still secretly prioritised her child over sex she was still human and she craved this deep intimate connection with the love of her life, her husband, the father to her child.
"Let me take you up to my room," Osuald finally huffed and Lana nodded back enthusiastically. As they began to make themselves upright again Osuald shook off any muck or dust that had clung to his clothes while Lana felt her head covering slide off of her silky black hair. She decided not to slip it back on as she would be taking it off soon anyway in the heat of desire.
And so they made their way past Byrhtnoth's room, where he snored tremendously, and up the ladder to the large bed ahead. They undressed themselves into their undergarments and lay down atop the covers before pulling them out from underneath them. As they settled Osuald was holding himself over Lana once more and now they unleashed into what they were shy to do outside just minutes ago.
The carnal knowledge didn't last too long, the break since their last romp under the sheets had been too long for Osuald to perform endlessly, but it was wonderful nonetheless. As they concluded their vigorous physical act they lay side by side once more and held hands outside of the sheets.
CW over.
No words were spoken, only looks of love, understanding and exhaustion were traded and soon Osuald saw his wife fall asleep. He knew she wouldn't stay the night in his bed, his child was in the house next door and Lana would need to sleep in the same room as the baby, but he did not wake her as he just wanted to admire her peaceful expression.
She breathed calmly yet quickly and her grip loosened from his hand yet Osuald kept on holding on tight. And soon she awoke with a violent shudder and said,
"Bercthun. I need to check on Bercthun." She pulled her hand away from his and he breathed out a laboured sigh. He knew he shouldn't expect anything less than this, and he felt naive for wanting her to stay the night with him, but he tried to push his upsettedness away.
She gathered her clothes yet stayed in her nightgown and blew a quick kiss to her husband before she left. He gave her a weak smile and did not move a muscle, he just watched her disappear down the steps and then listened to her walk out the front door downstairs. Silence did not follow, only the vibrating snores of his father underneath the floorboards filled the farmhouse. And without another thought Osuald fell asleep with a minor pit in his stomach.
Spring had sprung once more and the men reintroduced themselves back into their farm work. They added some fresh compost to any bushes that survived the winter frost and planted new seeds and bulbs to start up a whole new season of crops. Byrhtnoth traded gossip with his son that many wise men predicted that this year was to be a warm one and he prayed to The Watcher for their largest yield yet once the harvest season comes around.
Alongside the hearsay Byrhtnoth found an interesting question to ask his son,
"Are you and Lana planning on having any more babies anytime soon?" His eyes remained on his hands picking through the soil while Osuald pulled away and looked up to the sky in thought.
"I'm not opposed to it," he admitted confidently. "I'm worried how much more work it would be for Lana, as Bercthun is finding himself to be quite a handful. She is managing with no complaints but... I just don't know how she does it!"
"Believe me, boy, neither do I," chuckled Byrhtnoth.
While the men were busy in the field across the dirt path and little Bercthun rested after multiple hours of teething pains Lana got a hand around to fulfill her womanly chores. She gathered the linens and scrubbed them in the washbasin outside and relished in the fresh air that grew warmer with each day that passed by.
Her eyes wandered over to the working men from time to time as her hands forcefully agitated the clothes in the water and thought about her husband. He had just quietly celebrated his seventeenth birthday and he would be officially considered an adult next year. She silently began to plan how she could surprise him with a meaningful gift or perhaps a cake... maybe a visit to Lavina's cottage to learn their family recipe for honey cake was in order?
And on days where she spent her time doing her chores and wondering about what she would do for her husband's celebration next year the Chapman men would spend some of Bercthun's waking moments in his company. Byrhtnoth would especially mind the tot as his hands began to grow more painful in his joints and would spend less time weeding their crops, leaving it all to Osuald.
Lana would hand over Bercthun after his morning breastfeed and indulge herself in a hearty breakfast before committing to all of the chores that needed to be done in both homes.
In the afternoons when Byrhtnoth would be caring for his grandchild Osuald would take over once he was done with the farming and he had cleaned himself thoroughly before handling his fragile little baby. Well, he wasn't as fragile as he once was, but he still had the occasional fear of holding his small body wrong.
Thankfully Osuald's parental instincts were strong and present and he felt an intense attachment to Bercthun, letting him babble at full volume and imitating a conversation with his offspring. Ever since his child held onto his finger and smiled at him on the day of his birth he was captivated by his behaviours and developments.
He would look more and more like a unique human being with each month that passed by, not just a chubby little baby anymore. Osuald could see that he passed on his fair hair to his son and noticed that he had a similar looking nose to his father and grandfather, round and bulbous yet charming. Osuald would tap his child's button nose gently and more often than never get a cute giggle in response from Bercthun.
Finally one evening towards the end of spring Grady Bacon came for a visit. He arrived bearing gifts to the Chapmans of bacon and other pork produce and Byrhtnoth couldn't help but gift him something back in return. They had almost ran out of their salted fish stores so there were only onions and carrots to give back to the hardworking man but he was thankful nonetheless.
He was delighted to see his one and only daughter but his main reason for visiting was to see his darling grandchild. Bercthun was around nine months old by the time of his arrival and delightedly wriggled and babbled with his other grandfather when he was held by Grady. Lana took pleasure in the sight of her father with her son and held back some tears of pride as she watched them socialise.
Before he left he couldn't help but ask the young couple,
"Are you two planning on having any other babies in the near future?"
"Funnily enough my father asked me the same question just a few months back," coughed Osuald in disbelief before looking at his wife. He waited for her answer, not wanting to respond in her place as she would have to carry their child for the both of them.
"We aren't opposed to it," she responded with respect to her father. "We aren't hurrying to have another, we are still battling through Bercthun's aching teething pains, but I would be happy to have more in the future." Osuald began to put an arm around Lana's waist in approval and she flashed a smile to each man that stood around and beside her. Grady was satisfied with the answer provided, said his goodbyes and made his way home.
With this statement of approval a new fire was born inside of Osuald. He deeply agreed that there was still much to deal with Bercthun's difficult moments and perhaps another little baby would be too much for the young couple but he was ready to take action.
CW: very brief talk of sex & medieval beliefs of conception.
All mature folk knew that sexual intercourse could result in a woman falling pregnant but there was no definitive answer as to why some women did and some women didn't. Each person you talked to would have a different answer yet most folk would be caught dead talking about such heinous acts in public so Osuald came to the conclusion that there should be a 'finish' of some kind, from either or both members of the physical ordeal, to result in a conception.
And so he began, catching his wife in moments of solitude where he felt he could express his lustful nature towards her. One time he saw Lana lay Bercthun to bed and complain of some back pains so he offered her a back massage that led to a massage of the entire body. Another time she was laying clean linens onto the beds on the top floor of the farm house and Osuald took advantage of their moment of privacy then and there also.
He always was mindful for them to be alone in the places where he would bed his wife, often going in with the knowledge that his father was away on a horse ride or perhaps watching over little Bercthun. It was a relief for Lana to have her mind go blank in her moments of climax, even if it wasn't achieved each time she was bedded by Osuald, and she tried to stay in those moments of bliss for as long as she could before being promptly grounded back to her responsibilities as a housewife.
CW over.
The weather grew to be as promised, warm and welcoming for every living thing to bloom in full power, and there was much work to do on the fields. Their food stores were quickly dwindling after the cold months and so Osuald finally ventured off on his first fishing journey in June. He promised to return by the end of the week and gather plenty of fish for his family and to sell at their next market.
He galloped away as soon as dawn broke and Lana awoke to see him off from the small balcony of the second floor. His figure grew smaller and smaller in the distance as he travelled to the outskirts of Praaven and she finally broke away from the window when he blended into the natural colours of the trees. She sighed and stepped back into her room, Bercthun still asleep in his crib.
And then it returned, a sensation she wished she would never experience again. The cold sweat brushed down her back and she felt the colour leave her face before she heaved out a laboured and sickly breath. She stumbled and rushed to the chamber pot and welcomed back her morning sickness. With the noise emitted from Lana's core Bercthun awoke and cried out in discomfort from his teething pains once more.
The Chapmans maintained their Sunday tradition of dominoes after breakfast. While Bercthun was a newborn they would often need to pause the game several times when he would cry from his crib but now that he was older they could comfortably play a full round with no disturbances. That was until Lana went into the throes of her pregnancy sickness.
Just like before she wanted to have full confirmation of her condition before she announced it to her family and so she waited for another bleed to come around. So while she waited, while even sticking to a simple and bland diet, she still had to make rounds to the chamber pot. Just before they would commit to a game of dominoes she would stand up from her chair, pale in the face but trying her best to hide it, and mention she wanted to check up on Bercthun one last time.
Byrhtnoth was a wise man and was catching onto her symptoms once more. In the moments when she would be heaving upstairs he would try to distract his son with a lengthy question or story and Osuald was none the wiser, listening to his father with his full attention.
With the summer months progressing it was becoming very evident that they would most definitely have an incredibly successful harvest come to October, possibly the biggest the Chapmans had ever had! With that came an idea to Byrhtnoth,
"It has been a while since we have invited our relatives and friends over to our home," he prefaced his upcoming suggestion, "why don't we host a feast party? Cook up a variety of delectable dishes and encourage others to bring something along with them also?"
Lana could barely stomach thinking of anything more flavourful than some sourdough bread but she knew if she were pregnant by the time the feast party would come around she would be the first to ask for seconds. "That is a wonderful idea, Byrthnoth. I say we begin planning!"
"Look at you two, putting more pressure on me to work extra hard on the fields this year," joked Osuald as he watched his wife's and father's expressions change from concern to joyful smiles. "Let's do it. When should we host it?"
"Why not the day after most folk would harvest their produce? Make sure the vegetables and fruits they use are perfectly ripe and juicy for the occasion?" answered Byrhtnoth as he placed a domino on the table before them. The young couple nodded in agreement and off they continued their round where Osuald won with a highly strategic and planned move.
The summer months became demanding with the sudden spike in heat. Osuald did not ask his father of much as to not start another flare up of pain in his aging joints but accepted any help in watering the crops as often as he could. He also continued to fish to provide for his family but did not stray away for lengthy trips as much of the hard labour was all on his shoulders.
It was a joy for Sunday to come around at the end of every week for the active lad as it was always considered a rest day. He still had to water the crops during the summer but no strenuous labour was forced to be endured. And so just as he came to the domino table to entertain himself to a friendly game with his family Lana found a moment alone with him.
Her face was beaming, a toothy smile plastered across her lips, and Osuald wondered what she was so happy or possibly excited about. He rose to his height, after being seated waiting for his family, and stood in front of his love.
"What are you smiling about?" he asked playfully, beginning to grin also as his wife's expression was contagious.
"I have some news I think you'd like to hear," she said with a great lilt in her voice. Osuald raised a brow, waiting for the big reveal.
"I am with child one more!" An announcement that Osuald knew would be uttered to him again soon, he just didn't know how soon. With that he was soon smiling just as big and bright as Lana was and he scooped her into his arms again to graciously celebrate.
"Bercthun will soon have a brother or sister," confirmed Osuald.
"Yes, I hope it's a little girl this time," shared Lana, still smiling. "It would be perfect to have one of each."
"I couldn't agree more," responded Osuald before kissing his wife tenderly. They quickly pulled away when Byrhtnoth entered the timber home yet gave each other playful glances as they got seated for their game.
Within a week Lana found time to announce it to her father-by-law and he responded with as much joy as they all expected. He said his congratulations and hugged the young mother tightly before pulling away and joking that he almost squished the baby.
He gazed upon his grandson after hearing the news as he rocked him to get him sleepy for a nap. Bercthun was shaping to look more like his son than Lana and he wondered if it would be the same with his second grandchild. He also daydreamed and slightly worried how the home will be once two babies were growing up inside their abode.
It had been decades since he dealt with such young children and he was concerned that he would be out of touch from their needs. But it was his parents that were his primary caregivers, first and foremost. He would be delighted to help when they asked for it but he had done his part with nine children in his lifetime, Byrhtnoth would only pass on down his wisdom and experiences to those who needed it.
The harvest approached and during the month of October each member of the Chapman family found themselves meeting with and inviting their esteemed guests to their humble banquet at the end of the month. Osuald diligently picked all of his ripe crops and soon it was time to join together and eat to their hearts content.
Linyeve was the first to arrive and in the company of August and February which delighted her old father. He audibly gasped when they entered their home and quickly rushed to meet her in an embrace, his voice cracking in emotion when he spoke of how thankful he was to see her again.
They pulled away and Linyeve found herself standing before Osuald. She extended her belated congratulations to her brother for his marriage and firstborn and he shared how much he had missed her at home.
As they spoke she glanced to see Byrhtnoth hug Lana as they finalised their plans for what food they were to serve tonight and a twinge of jealousy faded across Linyeve's face.
"He seems to have taken very kindly to your wife," she spoke drily, not taking her eyes off of the scene.
"Her name is Lana, and yes, he sees her almost as his own," responded Osuald with some defensiveness. "He would be hugging you just as much as he is her if you still lived at home.
"But I married and now have my own family," she bluntly responded, finally meeting her brother's gaze. "And only one surviving child from that union."
"I'm terribly sorry for everything you have gone through, Liny," spoke Osuald with sincerity as he dropped his head in slight shame. "I only pray your fallen children are in the comforting embrace of The Watcher now."
"So do I, Oz... so do I." As she finished their conversation in a grim tone August appeared by her side and asked if he could show February their chicken coop. Osuald agreed to guide them and show them their chicks as Byrhtnoth was sure to want to talk with his daughter and Lana was busy cooking.
Byrhtnoth took his conversation with Linyeve into his room just around the corner from the kitchen and spoke to her in privacy. Lana would have been polite enough to busy her mind with other things as she knew her father-by-law had a deep conversation ahead of them but honoured his decision to take it to the other room also.
Within the next hour the rest of their guests had arrived. Lavina came in the company of Catherine, their old neighbour and father to Frank, and they both laughed at how they walked out of their homes at the same time to meet on the bridge. Bobby made the decision to stay at home with baby Gisla as the parents continued to stay vigilant about her health after the loss of their firstborn to which Byrhtnoth took absolutely no offence to.
None of their friends from the Praaven castle came to visit and talks of a conflict brewing between England and France was thought to be the blame. Byrhtnoth still wondered why Frank or Shavonne would not come, they wouldn't have any royal duties to attend to, but came to assume that Frank's comforting prayers were needed in these uncertain times.
Catherine brought with her some sausages wrapped in a hearty pastry to which she decided to call a 'pig in a blanket', amusing the hosts for the evening. When Grady and Alanna Bacon visited last and Catherine made her joke once more Grady was so inspired he began to beg to use such a creative name for his marketing pursuits in his butcher profession. Catherine was happy to give permission, feeling honoured to have a young working man take relish in an idea thought up by an old crone like herself.
And with that Lana began to spoon their vegetable and fish stew into the largest bowls they had to spare for their guests. She thought that the pairing of the warm liquid meal would pair up wonderfully with the 'pigs in blankets' that Catherine brought with her.
Byrhtnoth passed around the bowls as Lana filled them to the brim and gave one to his youngest daughter first. She happily accepted her serving and found a seat for herself by the table where others began to congregate also.
The feast was looking like a success. Everyone praised the two ladies who cooked for the group and became content quite quickly from the robust dinner. Lana announced that if anyone still had the room in their bellies she would be delighted to give out seconds and her husband was the first to ask for it. He may be celebrating his birthday into maturity next year but there was still more growing for him to do and the young boy ate well.
With most of the bowls becoming empty Lana decided to take her parents into the other room to share the news of her pregnancy in private. Only in the other room over from where the party was had, the bustling of multiple conversations behind them, the mother-to-be spoke with a big smile plastered across her face. Possibly not as big of a grin as when she told her husband but her cheeks hurt just as much from her joy.
Her father immediately pat her on the shoulder and told her that not only was he proud but that The Watcher would be smiling upon her for fulfilling her matronly duties. Lana followed almost every word of the scripture of The Watcher but she began to feel a bit uncomfortable with her father's emphasis on women's responsibilities, highly emphasising her abilities to incubate a child.
There was so much more said about what women and girls are capable of in those holy scriptures and she prayed that it was only because of her age and recent status as a wife that is making him focus much of his thoughts towards bringing children into the world. She smiled nonetheless and thanked her parents for their hopes and praises.
In the next room over Catherine offered to clean the dishes, and even with Osuald's repetitive words to say he will do it himself, she did it anyway. While she gently scrubbed the bowls in some lukewarm water the boy found himself in a conversation with his younger sister. It had been a while since he had seen her but not as long as he had seen Linyeve.
The two young parents gushed about their newborns while also confiding in the struggles they have had thus far with how fussy the children can be. Osuald pushed the baby talk aside and asked how she, as Lavina the young girl, was faring and she answered positively. She had grown to love the smell of the smithy right next to her and Bobby's home and the clinking of the metal from his workshop was like a soothing bell as she would care for little Gisla.
Their evening continued on and just as the sun began to set along the horizon the Chapmans invited all of the guests to their new timber home. Inside Osuald, Byrhtnoth, Linyeve and Lavina decided to get together for old times sake and challenge each other to a game of dominos: best Chapman wins! While Lana brought her parents, and Catherine, upstairs to spend time with Bercthun.
He was still being swaddled but he was close to the age of being let go to roam freely around the farm. Grady held him in his arms with extreme care and gazed upon his grandson in admiration. He cooed at him and had a silly conversation with him as Catherine asked Lana how she found being a mother.
And soon the night had to conclude as the roads were growing increasingly dark and some guests had a long way home. Once they glanced outside the Bacons decided that they would spend a night at the Lughaven Inn instead of venturing down treacherous paths and so everyone made their way towards the closest village. Their feast party was a success and there were still plenty of portions of stew and sausages left over for the next few days to come.
As planned, Bercthun was granted his freedom from the confinements of the swaddle his mother put him in and she fashioned him up some fur pants and a linen shirt, keeping him mildly warm with the winter months that quickly came along.
They quietly celebrated his first birthday, no cake necessary as the boy was far too young to understand the reason for a grand celebration with some cake, and so he moved into a larger crib.
He slept soundly in the next room over from Lana and the worst of his fussing that the mother endured from him this year was finally over. Now, to do it all again with the child that was due to be born next year...
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