#1316 tartosa

[thestressedsimmer]

August 1st, 1316: The Second Holy Tartosian Royal Residence

Around Tartosa, many illnesses had been ravaging the countryside - probably brought from traders bringing it from Windenberg and Willow Creek.

This was a concern but also mostly an annoyance until His Imperial Majesty Frederick caught one of these many illnesses. He spent days in bed, slowly but surely wasting away, until he finally took his last breath in the early hours of the morning.

His passing brings many mixed feelings. Those who were closest to him mourn him, but the other Imperial family of Tartosa breathe a sigh of relief that they will not have to go to war to keep their power.

That being said, everyone is praying to the Watcher for his soul. None more than his betrothed, Queen Mother Elizabeth of Henford on Bagley, who has been distraught by the death of her beloved.

[thestressedsimmer]

At first, Vanna didn't notice any changes. She was still breastfeeding so she wasn't getting her monthly visitor and even if she was, she wouldn't bat an eye at it going missing with how little she was eating - more than her husband, but she knew from previous famines that it can make her cycle go out of whack.

It was only when Neri started fussing and preferred even meager bites of gruel over her milk that she thought something was amiss. And then when cooking turned her stomach instead of making it growl? That also struck her as odd.

Finally, she put two and two together. She was with child for a second time.

She was nervous to tell her husband. Their stores weren't in the best place. The market still had enough food to tide them over, but it wasn't as if they were made of money.

Thankfully, her husband brushed off her worries. He was a pragmatic man and as such wasn't overjoyed by a new addition, but he also wasn't going to scoff at a gift from the Watcher. Besides, she was not the only one who wanted to woohoo, they knew the consequences.

"We will just make it stretch a little farther. We will make it through."

[thestressedsimmer]

Congratulations are in order for Vanna Ezzo. The Watcher deemed fit to reward her for suffering with grace by safely delivering her a daughter on July 1st, 1316 at 5:08 AM!

The child, named Junipera, came out healthy and strong. Her mother is also resting while neighbors care for her eldest child.

[thestressedsimmer]

June 14th, 1316: The Ezzo Farm, Tartosa

While his wife slept, Adamuccio decided to gather some water and lug it back to their home so that she wouldn't have to do that - she was heavily pregnant and the stress of almost losing the baby made him realize that he had to do more, no matter how weak he was feeling.

Unfortunately, the lack of food had wreaked havoc on his body. He couldn't do manual labor as he could before the famine started and he barely got halfway back to their home before he collapsed to the ground. Out by the cow sheds.

It was hours before his wife found it odd that he had yet to return. To be fair, he wasn't always around the home; he could have been called to work their lord's lands or he could have went to the market like she asked him to do seven times. . .

When she found him, all of those petty squabbles didn't matter anymore, however. Because he was lying on the ground, unresponsive.

She tried desperately to wake him up, hoping he had just fainted and everything was going to be okay, but nothing she tried work.

She even tried slapping him. She might feel bad for it later, but she didn't know what else to do.

Eventually, the truth settled into her bones. He was gone. None of her attempts were working and she could see that he wasn't breathing.

Her husband of only a few years was dead. He wouldn't see their second child born - and he wouldn't see their son grow up.

All she could do?

Was hug him and apologize for not finding him sooner.

[thestressedsimmer]

As time progressed, as did Vanna's pregnancy. She entered her second trimester and everything seemed to be going alright despite her still breastfeeding (when Neri would take to it) and not eating as much as she should.

All of that changed when she woke up in the middle of the night with the worst cramps she had felt in her life. Outside of labor.

She sat up, taking some deep breaths as she did, her hand resting against her stomach. At first, she tried not to panic, but as she went to stand up? She saw something that made her heart sink.

There was blood on the sheets. It wasn't much, in hindsight, just the tiniest little dot - but any blood when she knew she was carrying a child? Was terrifying.

She tried to stand and realized her legs wouldn't hold her. So she reached over and smacked her husband to wake him.

Her husband groaned in confusion, but when he saw his wife's pale face and the way she was shaking with fear, he rushed to her side and started to help her to her feet.

"What is it?"

"I. . . Something isn't wrong. I'm afraid I'm losing the baby." Vanna said, desperation creeping into her voice.

Adamuccio sprung into action, wrapping his arms around his wife and leading her out of their bedroom and to the kitchen. He figured that it would be best for her to at least drink something to try and calm down.

"I am going to get a midwife, my love. Try and calm down. Please."

And just like that, she was alone. She paced the kitchen, sipping some mead they had managed to make as she did.

Eventually, the cramps passed and she was relieved - only for her husband to return with a midwife in tow. She looked over her and said that, as best as she could tell, Vanna is still pregnant. There's a chance that she miscarried a twin and still has one, but she is definitely still pregnant and the baby is strong and kicking.

It was a relief, but Vanna had some lingering worries in the back of her mind. Clearly their lack of food was starting to effect their child already. . . It's terrifying to think of what might happen.

[thestressedsimmer]

Fall Harvest, 1316

Windenberg Harvest: Barren.

Henford on Bagley Harvest: Barren.

Willow Creek Harvest: Barren.

Tartosian Harvest: Barren.

Granite Falls Harvest: Barren.

Glimmerbrook Harvest: Barren.

[thestressedsimmer]

Princess Anna, of course, had a huge pile of presents waiting for her on her birthday. It's not every day you become a toddler, after all! It marked the dangerous days of infancy being behind her.

And plus, who didn't love feeling special on their big day?

The happy squeals from her as she opened her presents made it all worth it.

She mostly got new toys - the nursery already had mostly everything it needed from her two elder sisters so she got only fun things. Which was probably good, Anna seemed prone to tantrums.

[thestressedsimmer]

The time had flown by and it was time for Princess Anna to become a toddler.

While they could not justify throwing a grand celebration once again, they knew that they wanted it to feel special. So Louis cancelled all of his meetings for the day and Beatrice stayed in from training her horses.

Beatrice was who held her when it was time to blow out the candles.

Anna was curious about the cake; they had been trying to eat less desserts and opulent foods, cutting down so they can send aide to the kingdoms around them that are truly hurting.

But for the little one's birthday?

Well, how could they justify not splurging a little?

[thestressedsimmer]

July 1st, 1316: The Ezzo Farm, Tartosa

Vanna managed to find someone to watch her son while her labor continued on. The village woman offered to run and find a midwife for her, but she refused - not because she didn't want a midwife, but because she didn't want the woman who was watching her son to risk her and his safety to get one.

She had her first baby with just her husband, she can have her second alone. She's confident.

Her confidence waned a bit as the pain continued, but she allowed her body to take over.

If a midwife was here, they would force her to lay on her back. She had needed to walk and she got to.

She knelt on the ground, gripping the hay underneath of her to cope with the pain.

She's okay. She's okay.

She's okay.

When she started screaming, she was grateful that her son wasn't home. It wouldn't do to scare him; his mother screaming in pain would undoubtedly do that.

She pushed and screamed, just praying to the Watcher that she made the right choice by doing this alone.

After what felt like days, she heard a cry and there was a baby in her arms. At first, she could barely see - the pain had made her vision blurry.

As she cleaned her up and wrapped her in linens, she smiled when she saw that it was a girl. The Watcher was good. Herself and her husband, before his untimely death, had a boy and a girl. Suppose every cloud has a silver lining.

[thestressedsimmer]

It's probably best that Vanna didn't stay at the church long. As she got home and settled Neri into bed and changed into her own nightgown? Her water broke.

A part of her was excited. Another part laughed at the bitter irony - the babe couldn't have come one day earlier and allowed Adamuccio to meet him (or her.) But once the funeral was completed, he (or she) was eager to join the world.

She would have to try her best to get through this labor. Perhaps she could have a neighbor come over to care for Neri. Because like it or not, it was time.

[thestressedsimmer]

June 14th, 1316: Cathedral De Tartosa

While Vanna didn't have enough money for a grand funeral, she still wanted to do something for her husband. She wanted him to go to the Watcher in as dignified a way as possible.

It felt awful to hold their infant son and feel their unborn child kicking her while she went through the motions of his mass and burial. They wouldn't remember him. She would have to make sure to tell them stories of their father.

She couldn't stay long, as heavily pregnant as she was, but she still knelt at the graves and prayed for both her husband and his first wife. She prayed that they watched over her children and her, that they made it to Paradise, and that they (yes, even Odierna) guide her in the raising of their children.

[thestressedsimmer]

A newly aged up infant meant that he must be baptized. They rushed him over to the church as fast as they could - even if they both were a little weakened by the ongoing family, especially the man of the house who has been sacrificing so his breastfeeding wife could eat enough, they wanted their child to be protected by the Watcher.

Especially Adamuccio. He waited so long for an heir and he was not willing to give him up for anything.

Since it was a Sunday, Neri was given a baptism inside the church in front of the congregation.

For people as low in society as the Ezzos, it felt like a grand celebration of their son and they were very grateful. They also were happy to have that extra blessing for him.

[thestressedsimmer]

Summer Sowing, 1316: Ezzo Farm, Tartosa

Neri has been growing well. He was a happy baby, hardly ever fussed even in the middle of the night. Vanna sometimes has to wake him to remind him to feed.

Adamuccio insists his demeanor is a reward from the Watcher for waiting so long for a child. Vanna joked that she didn't wait very long, but she supposed maybe he was being rewarded.

Either way, the infant stage was bound to bring new joys and new challenges.

She looked forward to every single one.

[thestressedsimmer]

Spring Harvest, 1316

Windenberg Harvest: Barren.

Henford on Bagley Harvest: Barren.

Willow Creek Harvest: Barren.

Tartosian Harvest: Barren.

Granite Falls Harvest: Barren.

Glimmerbrook Harvest: Barren.

[thestressedsimmer]

Summer Sowing, 1316

[thestressedsimmer]

Winter Sowing, 1316