The golden sun rose, shining its warm light on the fertile earth. The light soon reached the roof of a barn and a small cottage. The rooster crowed its sunrise call, waking up the family inside. Saffi woke up with the smell of breakfast lingering up to the upper levels of the cottage.

"Smells like Floriane's up." She said as her husband also got out of bed.

"Yes, I agree." Fabrice said as he looked at his wife. "Her sisters need to make breakfast one of these days."

"I know." Saffi said, as she got dressed. "I spoiled them too much."

"No one blames you, not even me. It doesn't surprise me that Sorrel, Brenna and Newell act the way they do."

"They know what it's like to be in the upper class." Saffi said before they left the room. "Now I've dragged us down to the lower class."

"You didn't drag us down. Those darn doctors did..." Fabrice pointed out, "and those pirates stealing your ships."

"The one thing we can agree with is that I was lucky to have enough money to have this farm...otherwise we would be begging out on the streets." Saffi thought out loud. "I don't even want to picture the behavior Sorrel, Brenna and Newell would lash out." Suddenly, there was a knock on their bedroom door. It slowly opened and a young man peeked in.

"Good morning, Tanner." Fabrice said with a smile.

"Good morning, father, mother." Tanner said opening the door wider. "Breakfast is almost done."

"Are your siblings down there?" Saffi asked and Tanner shook his head 'no'. 'I had a feeling that they wouldn't.' Saffi thought to herself. "I'll go wake them up. You two go down and get some food." The men looked at each other and back to Saffi, nodding their heads at her.

Floriane listened to the sizzling of the eggs cooking on the pan as she waited for the rest of her family come downstairs. She already was expecting her sisters judging her cooking. She knew that her elder half-sisters and elder half-brother were still very upset over the loss of the family riches. Her mother, father, Tanner and herself were the only ones who could accept the situation they were in.

She soon heard soft footsteps coming down the stairs. Floriane turned around and saw her father and Tanner coming. She put the cooked eggs on separate plates and brought the plates to the table.

"Morning, Floriane." Fabrice said when she came out of the kitchen.

"Morning Father." She said as she gave him his breakfast. She then gave her brother his plate. "Where's mother?"

"Getting your half-siblings out of bed." Fabrice answered and Floriane rolled her eyes.

"Their breakfast is going to be cold by the time they get down here." Floriane said as she went back to the kitchen. When she came back out of the kitchen, she heard the groaning sounds of her mother. She looked out and saw her mother...by herself. Floriane rolled her eyes again and brought out her mother's breakfast and her own.

"Those three." Saffi grumpily said as she sat down at the table.

"Let me guess: they don't want to get out of bed." Tanner guessed and his mother nodded 'yes'. Floriane shook her head, guessing it right that her siblings are going to have a cold breakfast. After she sat down at the table, the four of them ate in silence. Floriane knew that her half-siblings weren't happy with anything with their lives now.

Floriane and her family lived on farmland for six years. They used to live in a city with the upper class, but it was taken away when pirates stole ships that belonged to Saffi. Saffi's first husband, who was Sorrel, Brenna and Newell's father, originally owned the ships. He passed away after getting sick on one of his travels to distant lands. After he died, he left his fortune to Saffi and their children, including his four ships.

Saffi was heart-broken after her first husband died. She believed that she couldn't love again, but one year later, she met Fabrice. She felt something that she didn't think she would feel again. Fabrice helped open her heart again. They married six months later and brought Tanner and Floriane into their lives. Everyone was living comfortably until Floriane turned nine.

When Floriane was nine, she fell ill. Ever since then, Saffi had been paying doctors to figure out what was wrong with Floriane. No doctor that Saffi paid could figure out what was wrong or they said Floriane was faking it. Saffi became very angry over the fact that no one could figure out what was wrong with her youngest daughter. To make matters worse, two years later, pirates raided and stole Saffi's ships.

Saffi lost almost all the fortune that her first husband left her. All she had left was enough money to buy a land plot in the country. She used it to buy a farm so that they could still make a living. Sorrel, Brenna and Newell had never accepted the fact that they were now poor. Tanner and Floriane decided to accept it because they knew that complaining about it, like their elder half-siblings, would make things worse.

Ever since they started living on a farm, Floriane and Tanner helped their parents with farm-work. Sorrel, Brenna and Newell didn't want anything to do with farm-work. The only reason that they would do anything was the threat of being kicked out of the house. Saffi didn't want to resort to that, but she and Fabrice agreed that Tanner and Floriane shouldn't be the only ones working. Nine years had passed and the family was still working on the farm and Floriane was still feeling the affects of her illness.

"So...what do we need to do today?" Fabrice asked his family.

"The cows need to be milked." Floriane answered.

"Sheep need to be sheared and the eggs collected." Tanner added.

"The vegetables need to be picked and a trip to the market is needed." Floriane decided to add in; her parents looked at each other and nodded their heads.

"What do we need at the market?" Saffi asked.

"Meat." Tanner admitted, "I don't want to think of what Newell will say about not having meat on his plate." Fabrice rolled his eyes; he had a feeling that's why his children mentioned a market trip.

"He always whines on why he should have meat on his plate." Fabrice thought to himself. "We'll think about it." He said out loud.

"There is another reason." Floriane finally said and her mother looked at her with surprise. "There was a small spinning wheel there...and I want to try and to learn to spin yarn." Saffi looked at Fabrice and he looked back at her. "Hmm, that reaction is enough for me to know." Floriane said as she gathered the dirty dishes. She then went back to the kitchen; not realizing her big brother followed her.

"What do you think, Fabrice?" Saffi asked, "Maybe we should get the spinning wheel."

"Why?"

"It will keep Floriane inside. We won't have to worry too much about her getting sick again when she goes outside."

"That...or we can get Sorrel or Brenna do it." Fabrice added, "It's time for them to do some work around here."

"I agree." Saffi groaned, "I've made such a mess." Fabrice reached out and gently held his wife's hands.

"Fate works in many mysterious ways, sweetheart. Maybe there's a reason behind this."

"I just wish that I knew."

"I'm surprised that you were brave enough to ask." Tanner said.

"Well, I was thinking of another way for us to earn money." She admitted, "We're lucky to have the money we have selling milk, eggs, half our vegetables and the wool. Selling yarn might give us a little more, but the look on mother and father's face was enough for me to know that we don't have the money for a spinning wheel."

"You never know." Tanner said, "They...could've said yes." Floriane just smiled at her brother. She knew that he was only trying to make her feel better. Ever since she got sick, Tanner was always there to bring a smile to her face.

"I need to clean the dishes before I go and help mother with the cows."

"Are you sure that you're up for helping mother?" Tanner asked; Floriane rolled her eyes and looked at her brother.

"I'll be okay." She said, "If I wasn't, I would tell you and our parents."

"No, you wouldn't." Tanner pointed out, "You don't like telling anyone when you're not feeling your best."

"I would rather be working while I'm sick than have Sorrel and Brenna come after me."

"I see that point," Tanner added, "but I would gladly take care of you and keep them away from you when you're not feeling well."

"Well, I'm serious this time that I'm fine. I'll be able to help mama with the cows and the chickens."

"You better be serious this time." Tanner said, "It will kill me to know that you were sick again and I didn't stop you."

"I know." Floriane said in a kind voice. She knew that her brother was looking out for her. He wouldn't forgive himself if something bad happened to her. "Well...shall we get started for today?" Tanner looked at his sister and nodded 'yes'. He went out the back door and she went to the barn.