A Heart Full of Stars {A Medieval Story} Chapter 70 *Finale* now! 5/28/21

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“A ‘c’ is quite an easy letter to write. You just write a simple arch to the side, like this, and that’s all there is to it. The ‘d’ is only slightly more difficult, with a long line coming off of the right side. Like this-” Anwyn demonstrated in a flourish. She heard horse hooves approaching the house, and while the sound was a common one, it was still a commodity. Most of the patronage at the bakery came from villagers who walked, not rode.

“Practice the letters, I want-” Anwyn started.

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“To see 20 beautiful ‘c’s and ‘d’s by the end of the day.” Smiled Joseph.

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“25 for interrupting.” Anwyn corrected as she entered the house, a smile on her lips.

There was a small group of people milling around, gossiping. Lara looked like she had a bird in her mouth, like she wanted to say something and was just barely keeping it under wraps.

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“So happy to be getting married?” Anwyn asked her quietly.

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“I feel so different. Something huge has happened to me, and none of the people in the room know it, bedsides the family.” Lara beamed. “I- I want everyone to know, but I know that it is the parent’s duty to announce it. I can’t wait for it to be public knowledge.”

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“Cherish this moment. It’ll only last a short while, and you may miss it when you’re bored and lonely on a farm.” winked Anwyn.

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The door, which wasn’t light, was pushed open in a flurry of action. A man in expensive dress entered the room, and the people’s voices dimmed.

“We require citizens to aid in the restoration of the lord’s manor.” hailed the man in a distinguished tone. “Any and all available hands are to be sent.” He noticed the two young women standing in the middle of the room. “Say, aren’t you Cupshire girls? Your mother and father can spare you for the time being, depart with me and you will be home by the end of two weeks time.”

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Anwyn drew closer to her sister, and Mr. Cupshire came out from the back of the bakery, looking at the page with weariness. “Why would I offer my daughters to clean the manor of the lord who taxes everything I do? I had to give him nearly half of my chickens last year.”

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“And if you don’t participate you will lose three fourths this year. I suggest that anyone who doesn’t want their taxes raised send someone over to the manor at once, lest the king be disappointed by its appearance. You have until tomorrow to have someone. And I will personally be checking for your two daughters, Mr. Cupshire.” the page snarled.

Mr. Cupshire’s face was stone as he straightened his back and showed the man to the door. “You will have my family's services, but threatening the people who pay you taxes is never a good idea. Maybe you should read some history books.”

“And threatening a man of the court is never a good thing either, or have you forgotten that lesson?” sneered the page, going back to his horse.

The door closed, and the bystanders went back to what they were doing but it was obvious that they were still listening to the conversation. It was going to be the town gossip that Mr. Cupshire had dared to stand up in the face of the courts again. They all knew what happened the last time he did that, and it hadn’t gone well in his favor.

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He brought his daughters to the back room of the bakery. “Alright, girls, get your things packed for two weeks. As much as it pains me to send you both away, I have little choice. You both know that we can’t afford the tax he is threatening, and I’m sure you’ll be well taken care of while there. In two week’s time we’ll hardly remember it happened at all.” he showed a weak smile. “Go, God be with you. You can be there by dinner time if you are quick in preparing.”

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The duo went up the narrow stairs and gathered their things, chatting about what tasks they thought they may be assigned. “I hope that I am put in charge or polishing the silver. It is one of my favorite things to do.” grinned Anwyn.

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“But you’re so slow at it. You would be better cleaning the floors, doing large motions. You can hardly sit still to garden, you’ll never make it through polishing a whole manor.” teased Lara.

“And you would be best in the library where the dust is an inch thick and covered in spiders’ webs!” laughed Anwyn. “At least you would be as silent as your company.”

“A lady is best seen when she is quiet. Women who are loud and boisterous are rarely seen as anything better than beggars on the corner. You would do well to develop some manners.”

“I have manners,” Anwyn claimed, indignant. “I think that a woman has just as many brains as a man, and even little Sophia has more brains than that page. His head is so far up his horse’s be-” Anwynn started to illustrate.

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“I will have you stop there, before we are both in larger trouble than we began in!” laughed Lara. “As much as an education is good for a woman, it is equally damning to a man.” she sympathized in a soothing tone, trying to subdue her sister from getting overly excited. “Men want to know that they are in charge. They want to know that they will have their woman’s support and that he does right by her. A man without a woman to fear the loss of favor of is a frightening thing, for he has nothing to fear. However, I know that the page is married, so we have slightly less to fear.” smiled Lara, packing her things.

They packed for a few minutes, Lara finishing before Anwyn.

The two girls embraced their mother and father, and walked down the road towards the lord’s manor.

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“How badly does this manor need to be cleaned? And repaired? Does your friend sit on her hands all day doing nothing, playing cards with her friends?” Anwyn asked her sister.

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“She has few comforts, actually. It’s nearly impossible to keep a manor of that size clean with only two maids and a cook. The lord wishes to minimize costs so that he doesn’t have to pay so much to his servants, thus he has few people to take care of the place. It’s a pity, really. Now we have to work just so that we don’t have to be punished. It’s not right….” Lara trailed off.

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They walked for a while in silence, keeping a good pace up the road. “The page said that something bad happened the last time Father tried to stand against the court. What did he mean? I don’t remember anything happening.” Anwyn inquired.

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Lara physically flinched and wouldn’t meet Anwyn’s eye. “You were very young at the time. I’m happy you don’t remember it. I’m sad to say that I do. And that’s all I’ll say. You don’t need to worry about it.” She tried to reassure her younger sister, but the memory was still wearing on her face.

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The hours waxed by, and finally they reached the walls of the manor. The lawn was moderately well kept, but the grass was long and in need of cutting. The windows were dirty, and there was moss growing on the shady side of the building.

The page was waiting in front of the house. “It’s about time, Cupshires. You do know how to take your time getting here.”

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The two girls curtsied. “Not everyone has a horse they can ride, Sir.” Anwyn commented

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“Too bad, makes one without look tardy.” he sneered. “The staff’s quarters are on the third floor. Walk through the courtyard to the back of the house, then take the stairs up. Walk quietly, the lord of the house is sleeping.”

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Anwyn and Lara walked in the front door, and to directly into the courtyard. The stars were sprinkling the sky now, and they were both hungry. There were cobwebs in the corners, and the fires hadn’t been cleaned in some time. The place was lived in, but did not feel formal. It felt worn.

At the third floor, the lights were low, and there was no one to be seen. All of the doors were closed and there was hallway lining the courtyard.

The two girls looked at each other, wondering if they had the right place. Lara walked quietly over to the door and knocked softly, then opened the door. Inside were six beds, all dressed the same, and on the far side of the room was a sleeping woman, but otherwise it was rather empty. It appeared that none of the other helpers had come yet to prepare the manor, so Lara and Anwyn could choose which bed to sleep in. They quietly put down their belongings and Anwyn went to the door to leave.

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“Where are you going?” whispered Lara.

“I need some food, and so do you. Come with me to get some.” Anwyn whispered back.

“We should stay here, wait to be summoned or assigned.”

“That would be tomorrow morning. No one will notice, we’ll be discrete. A shadow in the night.” Anwyn’s eyes flashed and she grinned in a funny way.

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“I’ll stay here,” Lara said, yawning and Anwyn made a face. “But if you bring me something, I’ll owe you a favor.”

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“Fine. Have it your way.” Anwyn turned around the door and tiptoed down the stairs. The kitchen was on the first floor, and she hoped she wouldn’t be caught. It appeared the manor was built in a big ring around the courtyard, so anyone could go around from anywhere to get anywhere. IF she could just get down the stairs without anyone noticing, she should be fine. Where was the other staff anyhow? There was the page, and the cook was supposedly in the kitchen, but where were the maids?

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Anwyn tiptoed down the stairs to the ground floor, trying to keep out of sight. She didn’t see much of anyone. The manor was sparsely populated anyhow, so it shouldn’t have been surprising.

I guess if I had people coming to my home to clean, I would want to greet them or know who they were… Anwyn thought. She tiptoed down to the kitchen, her mouth watering thinking about the food she could eat. Anything to eat after walking for half the day.
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She creaked open the door to find a very white, very old woman standing in front of the fire. She noticed Anwyn right away, and she approached, a scowl on her face.

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“And what do you think you’re doing coming into my kitchen? Thought you’d steal some food from the larder? Oh, where are my manors?” she asked sarcastically. “Do you need food, mortal? Perhaps some mint to chew on for your foul breath?”

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Anwyn covered her mouth with her hand. “I’d- I’d like some foo-”

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The woman covered her mouth in mockery. “‘I’d like some food.’ Ha! I cook three times a day. If you miss a meal, that’s not my fault. Mortals aren’t allowed in my kitchen.” she paused for a brief moment. “Though by the points of your ears… Doesn't matter. Breakfast will be served tomorrow morning, You can eat then. You look like you have enough meat on your bones to last until then.”

Anwyn was pushed out of the kitchen and she walked back up to her room, bewildered. She was upset that she had been insulted, but the conversation was bizarre. Mortal? Everyone was mortal, was this woman not quite right? Was the lord keeping a troll in the kitchen?

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Anwyn returned to her bed, Lara already sleeping in her bed. Another bed had been filled by another sleeping woman, and Anwyn felt that there was simply nothing left to be done besides sleep. She changed, got into the bed, and fell asleep.