Rock Valley

“Fae, go feed the pigs will you?” Eylan asked her youngest daughter. She was desperate to get the child out of the house on this important day.

“But I want to see her mommy!”
“There isn’t much to see Faelan, she’s only 12, as yourself.”
“Then why is she marrying Collum?”
“She isn’t. Not yet. And perhaps not at all, if you keep getting in my way , making it impossible for me to receive her and her mother this afternoon!”

She shooed her daughter out and continued her cooking. Perhaps their guests would stay for dinner? The girl’s mother was of noble descent, but being a mere younger daughter, she had married a merchant man. Still, it would be a great honor to have her marry into their humble family. Collum was 15 years old already, but after the trouble her eldest two had had, they hadn’t had their minds set upon getting him good and betrothed before.

She sighed, remembering the way Aideen had left, and the way she had seen her daughter again, after all those months. She had written to her mother, saying she was expecting her husband’s child. It had been a bitter feeling for her poor mother, who knew the fate that would await her upon the birth of the baby.
And then her eldest son, Johannes, had to run off with that serf girl Aelswith. He had made sure she was good and knocked up before he talked to her brother, but still, she would have liked her oldest one to inherit the house and the farm they had worked so hard to keep. Still, both her eldest children were happy, for the time being, she only hoped her younger son would have a happy marriage as well.

But there wouldn’t be a marriage at all if she didn’t receive the girl and her mother properly!

Alanis McArgus, born as the younger daughter of lord Pecuniaris, looked at her youngest child and smiled.
The girl was but a child, merely twelve, but one had to act quickly if one wanted her children to marry whom she wanted them to marry. She had had the unfortunate experience of her eldest daughter being neglected by her royal lover. She had hoped Alderick would have fallen in love with the girl and abandoned his wife to marry her, but the brute had returned to his lady and let her daughter alone to die, leaving her newborn son alone.

And now he was banished. Her second born however had married Andreas Ruffia, a nobleman’s son, and lived quite comfortably. And now her youngest daughter would make a good alliance. True, they were but peasants, but they had money to spare and their farm and shop were blooming. With a little hard work, her little Clothildis would be a gentlewoman before her youngest grandchild would be weaned.

“So” the girl all of the sudden spoke to the young man sitting before her. “You are going to marry me, I presume?”
“Clothildis!” her mother squealed, for such things should not be spoken out loud until the deal was made. “Do not speak until you are spoken to”

The boy looked bewildered. He had known the purpose of this little meeting, but he had not expected a little girl but a young lady, nor one with such an attitude.

Luckily for him, his father quickly responded.

“That remains to be seen, young lass. Perhaps you will not want my boy after all?” Emmeth tried to laugh away the situation, but Collum knew his father. Too much was at stake here.

“Father? Perhaps we should leave you alone to discuss the business side. I could take? Clothildis outside to see the flowers and show her the animals we have?” he spoke, trying anything to get out of this situation, before it could get any worse.

“Oooh… Mother, do you hear that? He already wants to take me out of your sight unchaperoned!” the little lady chuckled to herself. What was this girl? She was still a child in her appearance, but her mind seemed to be older than his father’s.

“Take your sister boy” his father sighed. “She’ll guard your honor madam.” Emmeth spoke to the girl, who seemed very pleased with way he addressed her. As if Collum would do anything with such a child. He smiled sheepishly as she asked him what flower he was interested in plucking that afternoon. This would prove to be an interesting courtship…