Chapter 2: Chapter One
As the sunlight broke into the sky, and streamed into my room. The calming sounds of the gray and gold Turtle Doves were heard throughout the small noble town,where the families of the knights live and strive, it lies east from the grand castle where the royal family subsidies, and west from the ocean, where the farmers gather fish for the town markets. Irwin is made up of two towns, the nobles who are higher ranking in the social class, then the peasants, who are based north of the castle, where they barley make a living, farming and making fabric and silk to be transferred to our town to be made into garments for the markets for purchase. My family is one of the highest nobles in this town, my father was a high ranking knight in the palace army.
"Constance, it's almost half seven," My mother's calming voice is heard behind my wooden door. "We have to get to the shop at eight."
"Sorry mother, I will be up and dressed right away." My voice sounds gruffy as I haven't used it today. I yawn and run my fingers through my light brown nappy bed hair.
"Ow." I wince as it hits a knot and pulls on my scalp, I pull my wool blanket to the side and I stand up out of my small birch bed, and make my way to the corner of my room that holds my wardrobe, I take out the pieces of my dress. Putting on a dress can make you break a sweat from time to time with all the layers. First it's the under petticoat, and because it's spring and the weather gets warmer, a short sleeve chemisette. I pick up my tanish green top petticoat and slip it over my head.
"Constance, are you ready?" My mother peaks her head into the room.
"Almost." I turn my head in her direction.
"Do you need help?" She asks me with her normal calm voice.
"Yes please." I respond to her, taking the final piece of my outfit, a dark maroon corset bodice, I pull the unlaced garment over my head, and turn to my mother. She takes the ribbon and pulls the coset, to lace it.
"One, two, three." She counts, and pulls it as tight as she can.
"A little tight." I say with barely any breath.
"Oh, suck it up Constance," Mother swats my shoulder jokingly "Come on, put your shoes on then come to the kitchen, so I can do your hair." She leaves briskly.
At the bottom of my wardrobe layed four pairs of shoes, all for different things. One pair was a white high heeled boot, with buttons going up the side, others were small tan and black flats, used in everyday work, like today. I take my flats and put them on my stocking covered feet. I take one look in the copper framed mirror, with my dark green forest-like eyes stare back at my reflection, my light complexion and my unruly amber hair, is what is seen in the mirror.
"CONSTANCE CLARICE WALTERS IF YOU DON'T GET YOUR BEHIND HERE IN THREE SECONDS I'M GOING TO LET YOU GO OUT LOOKING LIKE THAT!!" The impatient loud version of my mother's voice echoes throughout the cottage, as well as the soft chuckles of my father. Not wanting to make her mad I walked out my room, and left down the small corridor where the kitchen and sitting room is combined. My mother is sitting elegantly on the small chair with a brush in her hair, looking slightly aggravated.
"I'd hurry up Constance, your mother would like to leave soon." My father says in his stern wet calming voice.
"I don't even know the point of me going with you two the Markets." I grumbled lowly while walking over and sitting in front of my mother so she could tame my wild hair for the day.
"Darling you're almost seventeen, you need to find a well suitable man soon." My mother explains her reasoning.
"But mother, I don't want to be like all the other girls in this town, I want to marry for love not money." I say dreamily, imagining having someone sweep me off my feet and making me feel like a queen.
"Your mother is right sweetheart. Your mother and myself love each other, even though our parents planned it. After," I cut my father off.
"After the promise King Edward made to my great grandfather fell through, I know." I repeat like a broken tune.
"You never know if we will get a sumon Connie," My mother says, using the nickname I despise, I cringe just at the sound of it. "Madame Lillith predicted that this will be the time."
"She's just a crazy old lady. Ow!" She pulls a knot while brushing my hair.
"Maybe if you stayed still this wouldn't hurt." I laugh sarcastically at my mother for her response. Eventually, my hair was done in a very tight high half up half down with a poof in the front, with some of my natural waves hanging around my face. Soon my parents and I get out the door, but before we can make it far, Father gushes at our house.
"Dear, look at those nice panels on the walls, oh and those shutters." He starts "And that stone roof, and chimney, so nice."
"Father we get it, you built this house." I stick my tongue out at him playfully.
"Come on you two, all the bread is going to be gone by the time we walk down the streets." Mother complains again, but father laughs slightly.
"Don't pop a blood vessel darling, you know that's not true." I laugh at my parents as they link their arms together and walk down the dirt street, me trailing behind them, looking at all of the bright yellow Jonquil flowers that line the streets. Soon we reach the market, that is a bunch of tables with food, and clothes, covered with a cotton tent to keep the soon from spoiling the food.
"We need flour and eggs, to make your birthday cake darling." My mother tells me pointing over to the table to the far right. She hands me four silver coins and walks to where the eggs were sold.
There was really only one family who sold each thing, the flour was normally sold by the Essec family majority of the time. Maybe once in a while when crops are low other families will try to sell it.
"Bonjour, Madame Essec." I smile at the middle aged woman.
"Constance, I told you a hundred times, call me Winnie." she gushes at me, winking.
"Madame, you know it's impolite for me to do so."
"Those parents of yours raised you right." Monsieur Essec walks behind his wife.
"Thank you." I smile slightly at the old man.
"What will it be today Constance?" Madame Essec asks me, I look at the four silver coins in my hand.
"One small bag please." I hold out the four coins for her to take.
"Peter, fill one medium bag please." The woman turned to her son, her blond hair flipping over her shoulder as she did so.
"But, I only have enough for a small bag." I furrow my eyebrows in slight confusion.
"It's on the house. Think of it as an early birthday present." Madame Essec smiles brightly at me, she turns to her son and her dimenor changes. "Hurry up Boy." her son walks over to me and hands me the bag.
"Thanks." I smile at the handsome boy, only a year older than me. He just nods and goes back to where he was.
"Have a good day Constance." Madame Essec bids me farwell, I wave in reply, giving one more look at Peter.
Peter Essec was a very handsome boy, his shaggy blonde hair was split down the center with his crystal blue eyes to match. My parents and he want us to get married if the promise falls through again, so I'm almost certain I will become Constance Essec sometime in the near future. I wouldn't mind. The Essec family is almost as well respected as mine. But again, I would rather marry for love.
"Constance darling," My mother comes up to me with a woven basket with a dozen eggs in it.
"Yes mother?" I ask with a sickly sweet smile etched on my face.
"I thought I gave you four silver coins, that bag would cost a gold coin?"
"Madame Essec gave me the medium bag on the house, she said it was for my birthday." I shrug.
"When we get home, I would like those coins back." She voiced sternly.
"Yes, Mother."
"How was Peter looking today? As handsome as ever I." My mother says acting like a young teenager gossiping about a boy.
"Sure mother." I say amused at her.
"Oh, come on Constance, too embarrassed to tell your mother about a cute boy?" a teasing tone escapes her lips.
"Love, stop teasing her." My father joins us.
"Yeah mom."
The walk back home was only a short walk up and to the left of two small dirt roads. From the time we left from the time we walked past the threshold mother changed the topic of conversation at least six times, from either boy, kids and my marriage to her and my father's life before I was born almost seventeen years ago.
"Oh she doesn't want to hear about that" My father would say and she would change the topic again. My head was spinning in all directions trying to keep up with her conversation topics.
"Oh darling, I just can't wait for you to be wed, it will be a grand event." I would peer at my father, hoping he would catch my glance and change the subject knowing I don't like talking about the topic. Thankfully he did. And before she could talk about something else we made it home.
"Dinner will be done in four hours, clean up. We have guests coming." My mother and Father order me, I just nod my head and make my way down to the small corridor and to the wood door of my bedroom. As soon as I see my bed I jump into it face first into the single pillow. I stay there for a minute, wondering who is the 'special' guest at tonight's dinner. Is it another suitor for my hand in marriage? Like one is more than enough. Soon I find myself bored and walking into the kitchen.
"Do you need any help?" I ask my mother.
"Yes please, you can peel the potatoes." She points over to the table filled with a dozen or so brown russet potatoes, a bucket and one singular knife. "You remember how to do it, right?" No. But it can't be that hard.
"Yes of course." I pick up a single potato and inspect it,dirt is covering it, as well as some small white things around it.
"
We are going to be here for days if you don't stop inspecting it." My mother snaps at me, I jump slightly, dropping the potato not expecting that. She looks at my pointily and goes back to stirring the soup. I take the knife and start to peel the potatoes figuring out as I go, trying my best not to cut myself as go along the skin with the sharp silver blade. One by one I put the peeled vegetables into the bowl untilI finish it.
"Done?" My mother asked me as she stopped hearing the noises of the knife going through the skin of the potato. I nod and hand her the bowl, she throws it into the cast iron pot that is hanging over the open flame causing some splashes. "Please go and set the table, add three more bowls." I walk over to the small wooden cabinet that holds all our dishes and cutlery, I take out just as she asks and set them down.
"Who's coming over anyways?" I ask, placing down each set of dishes.
"It's a surprise darling, we couldn't wait until your birthday to share the news so a few days early won't be so bad." A gleam in her eyes tells me she is very excited for what will be going down tonight.
Three hours pass, as my heart beats fast, nervous about what the surprise is. My mother just finished making the soup, and cutting the bread she made the day before, as if she knew this meeting was going to take place. A knock on the door sounded throughout our cottage.
"Constance, will you please get the door." My mother says with a weird tone of voice. I walked down to the door from where I was sitting. I pull open our oak front door and three figure stand in front of me.
The Essec family stands one next to each other, Madame Essec holds a sickly smile, while Peter and Mounsoir Essec hold an unreadable facial feature.
"Well invite our guest in." My mother and father appier behind me.
"Oh, sorry," I apologize "Please come in." I move over to the side so they can come in one by one, the two others greet each other with a hug and a kiss on the cheek. The two fathers give each other a handshake, while me and Peter just stare at the ground. He is wearing different attire then he was at the market. Just plan trousers and a shirt.
"Please be seated." My parents and the Essecs walk to the table sitting each at the heads while me and Peter are left to sit across from each other in the middle, my mother goes around serving her chicken and potato soup, some of the best in the whole Kingdom and some of the people in the town.
Dinner is slow and bori
ng, well at least to me, the two sets of parents make small talk while me and Peter sit just eating our dinner. Right when I am almost done my Peter's mother stands up.
"You two kids are probably wanting to know why we gathered." Madame Essec starts.
"Us, as parents have decided that officially, you two will wed." I spit the soup that was in my mouth out. I look up at my mom with my eyes full of anger. But beforeI could respond a knock on the door silenced me.
"Were you expecting anyone else?" Madame Essec asks, my mother shakes her head no.
"Connie, will you please get that?" My father asks. I just get up and walk over to the door. I opened the oak door as I did before tonight, and standing there was a man I've never seen before, holding a scroll.
"Can I help you?" I ask, he unrolls the scroll and reads aloud.
"King Edward III has summoned the family of the noble house of Walter, to the palace in the marrow."
"You have got to be kidding me."
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