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nonasmeadowsims · 2 months ago

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1.2-Close Your Eyes-Althea

"Hello, m'lady, how can I help you?"

His clear voice echoed through the bakery's high ceilings. He was incredibly handsome, like a knight who rescues a princess in a painting that might hang in a castle. He looked to be maybe a few years older than Althea, maybe sixteen or seventeen. She avoided making eye contact as much as she could but couldn't help to catch glimpses of his long hair curling around his square jaw, his full brows furrowing into his icy blue eyes.

"I'm here for... bread.. ah... three loaves...thank you." Althea squeaked.

"What was that?" He asked, "Can you come a little clo-"

By the grace of God, he was interrupted by the thunderous sound of the usual baker coming down the steps. He headed straight behind the counter and walked up to the younger man.

"Quentin," The baker barked, "I thought I asked you to clean up last night, why is this place still filthy? And where is the sourdough I asked you to remake?"

"It's right here, sir. I apologize for my lack of cleanliness, it won't happen again." Quentin shrank.

"Very well, boy. See to it that you take good care of this young lady. I'm off to the mill, when I arrive home, I expect it will be clean."

"Yes sir."

Having had a few moments to catch her breath, Althea was feeling a pinch more confident when Quentin turned his attention back toward her.

"Here, hungry?" He asked, walking past her and placing the loaf of sourdough on a table.

"Oh, I-" she began to protest.

"Sit, it's fine, we have plenty of time for a bite before Old Man Baker gets back."

Althea sat, not knowing what else to do.

"I'm an apprentice." Quentin explained. "My parents died, and the old man took me in, gave me a room, and a job. I know you probably don't care, but it matters to me that people know he's a man of character, even though he can be tough at times."

"That's kind of-sweet. I sort of thought you were going to tell me a sad story about how you came to work for your dastardly old boss."

"Dead parents isn't sad enough for you?" He asked.

"I didn't mean-"

"I'm joking." He smiled, but his brow furrowed. "Old Man Baker doesn't have any children, he never married. So he's probably going to leave the place to me. This building has been in his family for generations. So I guess it's kind of like having an extra parent. I was a second son anyways, so it's not like I would have inherited anything. In a way, it worked out better for me."

"What about your older brother?"

"That's kind of personal," He looked away.

"Oh, I'm sorry."

"Kidding again," he smirked, "You gotta try to keep up uh-"

"It's Althea."

"Well try to keep up Althea. I'm Quentin, as I'm sure you heard. My brother's name is Tobias. He's a lot older than me, I'm almost seventeen, and he's thirty-five, I think. He's in the army, he was away when my parents died and we pretty much lost track of each other. That's enough about me, what brings you to my bakery?"

"I'll tell you if you answer one more question." She smirked. "Why do you call him Old Man Baker?"

"Well, his name is Manfred, and I think it's hilarious his last name is baker and he's a baker." He snorted. "Your turn, Althea. How'd you end up here in my hallowed halls?"

"Well, mainly I came here for bread."

She didn't mean it to be funny, she wasn't much of a jester, more so matter-of-fact. Still, she managed to illicit a laugh from him. It was a big, throw your head back and howl type of laugh. A booming, bouncing, and echoing off the walls type of laugh. It was contagious.

"That makes sense," He smiled. She saw, but the pitch and cadence of his voice made her feel like if she had closed her eyes she would have still known he was smiling.

"For real though?" He suddenly seemed so serious, so steely, his eyes level with hers. To think that moments earlier, she had been avoiding his eyes, and now, she couldn't pull her gaze away.

It all came tumbling out, the words spilling out of her mouth like she was drowning, and he was sucking the water out of her lungs. Everything, her brothers, her father, her mother, the lies, the lake, the trip.

Just as she felt the tears welling in her eyes,

She felt the weight of his big hand resting soft, but firm, on her shoulder. The tears were almost sucked back into her eyes from the surprise.

She had never been so familiar with a man, she had never been so familiar with anyone, save for her twin brother, Atticus. She suddenly felt improper, like the type of women Mother warned her about becoming too close with. Her? Alone with a man? Meant to be breaking bread like husband and wife? It was all too much.

"I-I have to go, thank you for the meal, and the company." She hastily scurried to her feet and beelined for the door.

"Wait, Althea, your cloak!" He called after her.

She was already gone.

He raced after her, out the door and into the snow, both of them in northing more than their day clothes. He caught up to her, and caught her narrowly by the wrist.

"Althea, don't go. You forgot your cloak, and you didn't even buy the bread you came for,"

He grabbed her other wrist and spun her around. She shut her eyes tightly, and flailed, trying to escape his grasp.

"Let go of me!" She shouted.

"I will, I will I swear it! Just please wait a moment." His voice was so soft, so gentle, it felt like she had been floating into the sky, and he brought her back to the earth beneath their feet.

"Okay, I will." She opened her eyes and stopped shaking her body about, just for a singular moment.

That moment seemed to last forever. She had never been so close to a man before. She could almost taste his breath, it smelled sweet, though she knew he had been eating bread just a few minutes before, she could easily have been convinced he had been eating peach pie or lemon tarts. His breath was a warm spot amongst the cold air. His grip was so firm but so soft, she knew there wouldn't be a single faded bruise where he had touched her. It didn't feel uncomfortable at all, not the way she had ever been touched by a man who was not her father or brother. In fact it was more comfortable than an embrace by her very own Mother. It was as though all along, she never knew what a real touch was, not until he held her. This was everything that was supposed to be all along.

He immediately released his grasp upon her, but that moment hung in the air. She grieved that it was over, gone as quickly as it had came.

"I'm sorry I grabbed you,"

"Don't be."

"I just didn't want your family to be angry with you for forgetting the bread, or for you to walk all the way home cold without your cloak."

She just blinked at him, trying to disguise the fluttering of her eyelashes.

"You can just wait here, if you don't want to come in." He said, "I'll bring you your things."

Before she could answer, he turned on his heel and did an awkward slow-fast jog into the bakery. He returned carrying six loaves of bread and her heavy black cloak. "I realized I didn't ask how many you needed." He scratched his head.

"Thank you," she took the loaves from his hands.

"Close your eyes," He said.

She trembled as his cold hands brushed across her neck, his arms wrapping around her shoulders as he fastened her cloak beside her neck, the weight of his arms as he smoothed out the wrinkles on the back of her cloak.

""Thank you," she said, "Um, for the bread."

"Thank you," Quentin took her hand gently, "For the pleasure of your company this afternoon,"

"I hope we can depend on your continued patronage of the bakery, Althea."

"I expect that you can, Quentin."

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nonasmeadowsims · 2 months ago

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1.1 A Chance Encounter-Althea

It was a day not so unlike any other to the rest of the Blackwoode family, but to Althea, it was special. Today was the day her father had promised to allow her to join him on his once a month journey to the castle, where he sold his forged weapons and armor. Althea had been begging her father for months, and had finally worn him down. He was unsure of her motives, but guessed she was hoping to catch a glimpse of the young Prince Andor who, like Althea, would be coming of a marrying age soon. Truthfully, Althea had no interest in any one of King Reidar's children, least of all the crowned prince.

Growing up in her humble home had made her wary of those with either too much coin or time on their hands. She valued hard work, and she carried that value with her when she arose before dawn to complete her chores with haste. She milked the cow, washed the cookware, fed the chickens, and swept the floors, all before her mother, the earliest riser of the Blackwoode bunch, had even changed out of her shift and into her skirts.

Althea's mother crept into the kitchen, "Althea, you're buzzing like a bee, what's gotten into you?"

"Nothing Mother, I've just finished my chores. Has father awoken yet?" Althea clasped her hands near her chest in excitement.

Mother sighed, "I'm sorry dear, but the journey has been cancelled. The heavy snowfall has covered the roads, your father's cart will never make it."

Althea's face fell. "Oh,"

"But I know you were itching to get out of the house, honeybee, so I have something else for you to do if you like." Althea lifted her eyes to meet Mother's. "I know, it's not nearly as exciting as a long journey to the castle, but I think you're old enough now to make a tip into town," Mother shifted her weight onto one hip and let her hand settle in the crevice of her waist, "All by yourself."

Althea tried to keep her mouth in a line, to demonstrate her disappointment to Mother, but her lips curled up at the edges, and she broke into a small smile. She was disappointed as the main purpose of her trip was meant to be spending alone time with Father, but she couldn't help being excited at the prospect of still getting a break from her feminine obligations at home. "Can I take Dagan? Please, please, please?"

Mother got that mischievous twinkle in her eye and firmly smiled, "No Althea, your brother needs the horse. He's going to keep trying to teach Thorian to fish." Althea rolled her eyes, then snapped back to attention, not wanting to lose this opportunity.

"Now no foolishness, as our eldest daughter, you have to represent the Blackwoode family and uphold our reputation as decent people of the kingdom, understand?" Althea nodded, "I need you to go to the baker's, and pick up 3 loaves of bread, then straight back here." She placed 1 dull bronze coin in Althea's open hand. Althea traced the smooth edges with her other finger, and tucked it into her pouch. "And don't forget your cloak," She kissed Althea's cheek, "Run along now."

Althea didn't wait for mother to change her mind. She nodded once, then pulled her cloak off the hook and fastened it around her neck as she ran into the snowy road, day just about to break.

Althea had already walked many miles by the time she needed to make a stop to relieve herself. She peered around the bush, looking for any unfortunate passers-by that might witness her deed. She felt ridiculous, an injustice, she thought, knowing her four brothers wouldn't feel the need to preserve their modesty. Such is a woman's way, she thought, squatting behind her poor attempt for cover.

Stepping out from behind her now very familiar bush, she stopped for a moment to take in the sight of a beautiful frozen lake. She imagined dancing across the lake, almost able to feel her body lightening like air, the taste of pasties that cost almost as much as her shoes on her lips. She thought of a fine silk dress, slipping across her ankles as she danced, and a handsome young man's hand in hers. She interrupted her own train of thought, "Envy is a sin," she said aloud to none but the bush beside her, "That's what the bishop says, and that envy is one of the worst. Besides, fancy maidens don't get to see sights like..."

"This."

Althea didn't know a lot of things, but she knew this. There was no fishing trip, there couldn't be with the lake frozen solid like that. The family's horse, the cart, the bakery. It was all a lie meant to cover up the fact that she hadn't been truly invited in the first place. They had left her here, alone, again. All the times her brothers had teased her, left her to pick flowers while they hunted, made her scrub laundry while they played with wooden swords, she wasn't even sure why she was surprised.

She wiped her tears. She would not be fooled again.

Despite having traveled to town many times throughout her life, Althea looked upon everything with new eyes. The fresh perspective of maturity and independence made everything shine with the hope of one day making her own way in the world.

Sh gazed upon the church and imagined the bells tolling out for her at her one-day wedding, the celebration of her marriage to a man who would finally see her as an equal.

The houses in town seemed to call out to her, "Althea, Althea, Althea" in the wind. She thought of her one-day life where she might live in one of those houses, and run her own business. Raise a child, maybe two, but not be a never ending baby maker, like her mother.

She steeled herself as she entered the bakery, back to her real life. But then she saw him, perhaps her one-day husband.

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