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Test Subject
Original Poster
#101 Old 18th Jan 2009 at 7:16 AM
Thank you Angelbeam! If you are still reading, then I hope you will be pleased to learn that there is (finally!) a new chapter on the way. :D
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Test Subject
Original Poster
#102 Old 18th Jan 2009 at 5:50 PM
Default Chapter 55: Ethel’s Confession
Chapter 55: Ethel’s Confession
November 7, 1316



All she could discern through the wetness in her eyes were the shadows on the table. Flickering images danced across the wood, warping the light into shifting shapes. She felt that there was a pattern to their rhythmic dance, if only she could comprehend it. Maybe, she thought, life was the same way. Somewhere hidden in the grain of it, there was a larger picture. Somewhere hidden in it was meaning... She hoped so, but how could she ever know? She blinked away a tear, before it could slide down her face and guiltily plop down onto the table.

She didn’t want Matthew to see her cry. She lifted her eyes, peering through the wet lashes, bravely meeting his gaze.


The expression on his face tore at her heart. His eyes were glazed over- impenetrable. She could read nothing in his face. She felt a tremor of despair trill through her body, covering her skin in a thousand needle pricks of ice. She waited for him to reply, but his silence filled the air with a heaviness that no words could.

She cleared her throat, which felt thick and heavy with the tears she was trying to restrain. “I’m sorry,” she finally muttered.
Still, he was silent. Slowly the seconds passed, and he cast his eyes downward, away from her face, to look solemnly down at the table between them. “You have nothing to apologize for,” he eventually replied.

The voice that he spoke with was not his own. She heard nothing of the Matthew that she knew and loved in his tone. When he spoke to her, she did not hear the strong sound of his voice, which was usually so calm and reassuring. Usually when he spoke, she imagined that she could hear the strength and earthiness of the land and soil and trees that he loved. It radiated from him at those times, and it was then that she could almost, almost see the meaning of something grand and important, like finding a hidden picture in the grain of a wooden beam.

Now there was nothing. She was afraid that she had broken his heart.

“I know that this is the most practical choice for you,” he intoned. “I understand.”

She felt the tears well up in her eyes. “Matthew,” she pleaded, “please don’t think less of me for this…”


He finally looked back up at her, with eyes that were no longer dead, but now full of emotion. “Why Dinovynn?” he whispered. “Why him?”

She felt the first of her tears finally slip down her face. “He needs help, Matthew,” she muttered. “You know what it feels like to loose a spouse,” she added. “He is going through not only that pain right now but is also struggling with the baby… He needs someone there to help him…”

“Why does it have to be you,” he glared.

“Because I need help, too!” she cried.


“I told you that you could come live here!” he replied. His accusing voice stung her, and felt almost like a sudden slap on her face. “You refused me!”

“You’re married, Matthew! How could I do that to you? To Mathilde?”

His anger finally broke, and she could see the hopelessness that was welling up within him. She recognized it because she felt it too. “You don’t have to marry him,” he said softly. “There are other ways… He could simply hire you as a nurse…”

“It is the most practical thing for me,” she murmured. “Things are falling behind on the farm. My boys can’t keep up. It’s just a small plot of land, Matthew… We always survived on Bertram’s income as a fisherman, not off of our land. I never knew how much I needed him to keep our family afloat… When I told you that I didn’t need your help, I really thought we’d be ok...” She brushed away a tear. “But we’re not.”


His face softened and he reached across the table, as if to touch her hand, but at the last minute, he pulled it hesitantly away. “I’m sorry Ethel,” he said, his voice quiet and soft. “If things were different, I’d-“

“Please don’t say it, Matthew,” she interrupted. “It won’t help.”

He looked straight into her eyes, his expression aflame with something she had never seen in him before. “I love you, Ethelyn,” he simply said, ignoring her plea. “I love you now, and I will always love you.”


The heavy explosion of it hit her full in the chest and she struggled for breath. She had never known how much it would make her feel to hear him say the words that she had not heard in months, but it was too late for anything to change. She had already given Dinovynn her answer and her fate was sealed.

Test Subject
#103 Old 18th Jan 2009 at 9:05 PM
This is just superb. I always get equal parts hopeful and concerned when I see that someone is setting out to write historical type fiction. It either turns out amazing or atrocious. You fall well into the amazing end of the spectrum, juggling a large cast without making it confusing. Beautiful sets, well designed characters, clever turns of phrase. I'm looking forward to the next update!

Edit: I totally empathize with distracting yourself reading other stories instead of writing. I ought to be working on an update right this moment, but I ran across your story and sat here reading the whole thing through. *gurk!*
Test Subject
Original Poster
#104 Old 18th Jan 2009 at 9:16 PM
Read the whole thing? Egads! That must have taken a bit, because I just happily noticed that it is getting quite long.

Ha ha, I just saw that you commented my comment from your story, which is funny because it is what I was reading when I was supposed to be typing up the next chapter for my story. Funny how these things work out.

Anyways, thank you for reading, and I am glad that you liked it!!! ^_^
Test Subject
Original Poster
#105 Old 18th Jan 2009 at 10:39 PM
Default Chapter 56: Dinovynn Speaks Plainly
Chapter 56: Dinovynn Speaks Plainly
November 8, 1316



As he heard the timid knocking on the door, Dinovynn rose softly to his feet. “Come in,” he called, for he already knew who had arrived, and as she entered, he gestured for her to take a seat in one of the chairs before the fire.

“Why did you want to see me?” she asked, gently brushing a stray strand of hair out of her face.


He slowly took a seat beside her. “I don’t want you to do this if you have any doubts,” he answered. He noticed that he was nervously playing with the fabric of his clothes and stilled his hands. Drawing in a deep breath, he added “And I wanted to make sure that you fully understand the situation.”

She looked up at him, her soft eyes sad and mysterious. “What do you mean?”


Absently, he waved his hand towards the crib that lay on the other side of the room. “The baby,” he murmured. “You know that the child is not mine.”

He noticed that her breath caught in her throat as she stifled a gasp. “I beg your pardon?”

“You’ve seen him, haven’t you Ethelyn? Looked at those eyes?” He leaned forward in his candor, pressing her for answers.

She turned her face slowly away from him. “Yes, Dinovynn, I’ve seen him.”

“Then you know who his father is,” he whispered. He finally saw her head neatly dip into a nod. For some reason the gesture relaxed him and he leaned backwards into the cushions of his chair. “I loved my wife,” he stated simply. “I loved her almost more than anything in this world.” He paused again, waiting to see her nod before he continued. “You must know,” he began, “that I never expect to have those same feelings about anyone again. Especially this soon after her… death.”

Ethelyn tilted her slight head up at him sadly. “I understand,” she replied. “I would not expect you… to love me,” she whispered.

He nodded absently. “She betrayed me in so many ways,” he murmured, once again noticing that he was fidgeting with the fabric. Ethelyn didn’t say anything, so he continued.


“She wasn’t herself in those last few months,” he sighed. He didn’t know if he was even speaking to Ethelyn anymore, or if he was saying the words only to himself. He reluctantly pulled himself out of the reverie.

“So you see why it is hard for me to care for the child right now,” he finally said. “It is difficult to look into that tiny thing’s eyes, realizing that he is the embodiment of my wife’s betrayal.”

“You can’t blame the baby,” Ethelyn gently interjected.


“Blame the baby?” Dinovynn shook his head. “I don’t blame the child for the sins of his father and mother… But still, Ethelyn, it is hard to see those eyes, mocking me from the innocent face of that infant.” He sighed heavily again. “I need you to help me with him… And also, my daughter... My Ellyn... She is still so young. She needs a mother…

So, what I am saying is that if you are still sure that you want to go through with this, I would greatly appreciate it. I just didn’t want you to have any misguided expectations. I can give you and your family security,” he said slowly, “but that is all…”


Ethelyn nodded. “I understand.”

Dinovynn pulled himself to his feet, feeling that the meeting was at its close. “Then I suppose we have a wedding to plan.”

Test Subject
#106 Old 19th Jan 2009 at 4:08 AM
Beautifully written, and with such detail! Quite inspiring.
Test Subject
#107 Old 19th Jan 2009 at 10:11 AM
Quote: Originally posted by QueenRebecca
Read the whole thing? Egads! That must have taken a bit, because I just happily noticed that it is getting quite long.



Yes, read the whole thing! And loved it! Great update, too, but so sad. They're both such nice people. They deserve better than a loveless marriage of convenience.
Test Subject
Original Poster
#108 Old 19th Jan 2009 at 6:39 PM
Hallo Renegadewolfe! Thank you for reading :D

And to Mollypog: They do deserve better, but alas, I fear I must torture them, for the story must have drama! X_X
#109 Old 20th Jan 2009 at 4:10 PM
Default Yay!
I thought you had given up on this story! I was so excited to see these updates...they are excellent as always and I can't wait to read more!


Colleen
Test Subject
Original Poster
#110 Old 20th Jan 2009 at 5:16 PM
Thanks Colleen

Yesh, I know that I have been negligent. I started dating a guy and got distracted from writing for awhile, but now I am single and have lots of free time again haha!

But no fears, there will be plenty of updates as soon as I can write them because I spent several hours yesterday creating chapter outlines for the next 20!!! updates I am very proud of myself for finally sitting down and getting it done, and I hope to have a new update or two within the next few days!
Test Subject
Original Poster
#111 Old 25th Jan 2009 at 6:25 PM
Default Chapter 57: Matthew is Broken
Chapter 57: Matthew is Broken
November 30, 1316








******


Matthew quietly shut the heavy door behind him. In the small anteroom, there were no eyes or ears to observe his misery. He wanted to wail, to scream, or to yell at the heavens in some profane gesture of release, but he could not. He held it all inside, in the quiet center of his chest where the pain seemed to weigh like lead against his soul.

He sank to the cold stone floor and offered his quiet prayers to a God whom he was not sure listened.


He had just watched Ethelyn marry Dinovynn Weldhelm and something inside of him had broken. He had watched her walk up the small chapel aisle in her simple white dress, her thick and wavy hair falling over her slight shoulders and covering her delicate neck. As he had watched her slow and graceful movements, she had reminded him of nothing so much as a small frightened bird, and his arms had ached to hold her.


During the ceremony, she had met his eyes only once, and so fleetingly that he almost believed he had imagined it. He was painfully aware of all that was missing in his life. He now knew that he had never been truly happy, could never be truly happy, without her beside him.

As he slowly rose, his eyes found the massive glass window that adorned the bare walls of the small room. It depicted Adam, in the act of his first sin.

Instructor
#112 Old 25th Jan 2009 at 6:37 PM
I still hope Matthew and Ethelyn can eventually be together.
(I don't care much for Mathilde.)
I also have to comment on how impressed I am with your pics.
Test Subject
Original Poster
#113 Old 26th Jan 2009 at 3:54 AM
Thanks Montridge! I went through a lot of trouble to get those pics.
#114 Old 29th Jan 2009 at 6:11 AM
I love this story! I have been lurking since the begaining but im tottally hooked
Test Subject
#115 Old 29th Jan 2009 at 9:57 PM
Yay! Update goodness. I have to second Montridge. The pics were beautiful, and so was the church. I just have the feeling this can't end well for them. You're doing such a beautiful job of depicting someone who is torn. Keep it up!
Test Subject
Original Poster
#116 Old 29th Jan 2009 at 11:42 PM
Yay! A new reader comes out from the shadows! Thank you for commenting Yowler! It is nice to see one's work appreciated

And to Mollypog: Thank you for your nice comments, as always. I had quite a time getting the chapel built for this scene. As for Matthew and Ethel's fate... well, I can't say just yet what I have in store for them, of course... :D
Test Subject
Original Poster
#117 Old 6th Feb 2009 at 1:19 AM
Default Chapter 58: Ellyn Discovers the Surprise
Chapter 58: Ellyn Discovers the Surprise
January 27, 1317



She awoke to the dull sound of copper pots clanging in the kitchen. She had heard the activity in her sleep, and it had dimly pervaded the recesses of her dreams. A memory of that dream clung with hesitant gossamer claws to her conscious mind as she awoke.

It had been something about a woman with fine golden hair that fell in curls around her heart shaped face… blue skirts, and an apron that was whitened with flour… Her groggy mind took some time naming the face of the woman in her dreams, but her heart always knew.


It seemed so long ago, but an uncomfortable lump still rose in her throat. She blinked back her tears and slowly pulled her quilt off of her body as she sat up. Now was not the time for crying. A few months had passed since her mother’s death and she was learning to swallow the feelings that still sometimes haunted her in those odd moments between waking and dreaming- the moments in which she forgot the awful truth.

Goosebumps immediately rose on her skin as she slowly left the warm comfort of her blankets and threw her small feet towards the floor.


A fire still smoldered in its ashes in the hearth, but it provided little warmth in the frigid January air. Color had not yet melded into the dawn sky, and the light in Ellyn’s room was still blue. It made her feel somehow colder, to be standing in its pale light. She had never liked the winter.

A dull thudding sound caught her attention. She knew that Ethelyn must be the source of all the noise. Her stepmother was probably making breakfast, early as it was. Ethelyn always did seem to get up early in the morning, and Ellyn liked that about her because it was a trait they shared. Mornings, Ellyn thought, even when they were cold like this one, were friendly creatures.

She tiptoed cautiously out of her room and into the hall to see what Ellyn was working so busily at in the kitchen. Carefully, she peeped around the wooden doorframe. The sight of another woman in her mother’s favorite room still saddened her a little bit, but she bit back the feelings. It was certainly better having Ethelyn as a mother than no mother at all.


She watched her new stepmother struggle for a moment, trying to pull a pot off of one of the higher shelves. Ethelyn was a petite woman and even on her tippytoes, she could barely reach the shelf. Ellyn shyly entered the room. “Do you need some help?” she asked with a slight smile.


Ethelyn turned with a self-conscious half grin. “I didn’t except you to be up so early.”

Ellyn shrugged. “I heard you banging around in the kitchen. What are you doing in here, anyways?”

At the question, her stepmother’s delicate face flushed ever so slightly. “I wanted it to be a surprise,” Ethelyn hesitantly began, “but since you’ve already caught me at it, I might as well admit that I was trying to make you a birthday cake…” She paused delicately, as if to see how Ellyn would respond to the news.


Ellyn herself was overcome with a strange flush of emotions, and felt flustered with a sudden shyness. She hadn’t expected Ethel to remember that it was her birthday, and was touched that she had even woken up early to bake her a cake. “Thank you,” she said quietly, her eyes fixated on the floor. She did not want Ethel to see the tears in the corners of her eyes. “My mother always used to do this,” she ventured, finally lifting her eyes carefully to Ethel’s face.


The woman’s gentle smile comforted her, but neither had time to say anything else before they were interrupted by two small bodies racing towards them with thudding feet.

“Ma! Ma! Ma!” the two small voices competed for attention. Ethel met Ellyn’s eyes above her younger children’s heads, as if begging for her indulgence.

“When are Alferic and Cullstun coming, mama?” asked Effie, the younger child, inquiring about her two older brothers who ran Ethelyn's old farm now that she had remarried.

“Later today, for lunch,” Ethelyn responded, beaming down at her children, who began cheering gleefully. Ellyn also smiled. She liked the two older boys and was happy to know that she would be spending her birthday with all of her new family members.

Test Subject
#118 Old 6th Feb 2009 at 8:31 PM
Aww, the kids are adorable. Ethelyn is one of my favorite characters in this story. She has a quiet strength and decency. I'm glad Ellyn is getting along with her.

"A memory of that dream clung with hesitant gossamer claws to her conscious mind as she awoke." I loved that turn of phrase and the whole sequence of her remembering the dream. I've had dreams like that when I've lost loved ones, the mind trying to come to terms with it and acceptance seeping deeper and deeper over time.

Great chapter!
Instructor
#119 Old 7th Feb 2009 at 12:22 AM
I also thought it was nice that Ellyn liked her new step family.
I can't wait to see how this situation plays out.
Lab Assistant
#120 Old 17th Feb 2009 at 6:22 AM
i loved the costumes you gave them and goood work
Test Subject
Original Poster
#121 Old 17th Feb 2009 at 8:12 PM
Thanks for the comments, everybody, and a special thanks to TheBoyFromMars for dropping by Sorry things are slow lately... I've got some updates written, but no pictures yet, cause my free time has been severely limited by a dreadful thing called physics class! ;{ But I'm dropping it! So updates soon!!!!
Test Subject
#122 Old 23rd Feb 2009 at 3:07 PM
omg this is such a great story! i love ellyn and i hope you'll marry her off to some gorge sim :D
#123 Old 10th May 2009 at 3:00 AM
Just started reading, but I like it so far.
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