Date: Thursday 30th April 1455.
Dear Diary:
It's ridiculous you know? Utterly ridiculous, 2 shillings…2! I toil for hours on end in the fields, dawn to dusk…for 2 shillings! Am I really worth that little to Walter?! That swinging and gathering rye, wheat and other grains with a blunt sickle for hours on end gets me that little, who does he think he is?! 2 shillings isn't even a full day's wages for gods sake!
I know I may have wronged him in the past, what with the incident with the goats and all of that but It wasn't my fault! How was I supposed to know the goat would urinate on his bed?
I've done things to him and he's done things to me but this is taking it way out of hand, I'm not a little boy anymore I'm a grown man! I turned 17 a few weeks ago so I should be getting more out of that smug pillock.
I need the money…We're barely scraping by as it is, Father is ill with gout and Mother has been dead for 8 years, I've had to take on more jobs across the village in the past few months, mostly on different days of the week even if it's voluntary. On Monday I assist Mabel Wallow the Apothecary who I've been getting most of Father's treatments from, Tuesday goes to Roger Pickwick and his forge where I stand around, hand him his tools and get told all about, "The trade!", Wednesday I help in the markets of Tewkesbury nearby. On Thursday I work for Walter with his crops since the fat pig can't be bothered to do it himself and on Friday and Saturday I work on OUR farm.
As of late I've also began to question what I believe in…I always get told during Sunday sermons that our Lord is a fair and just god and that our king is his representative on Earth…However over time I've begun to doubt that. If God is all-loving then surely he wouldn't allow the people of England to suffer under the rule of an imbecile king and his bloodthirsty wife.
Honestly with the way things are going I wouldn't be surprised if York splits away from the throne entirely and forms their own mini kingdom…I wouldn't exactly blame them to be honest…Maybe-
…...
"Oi! Robert! Get down here, your broth is getting cold!" a brash and young sounding female voice sounded from the opposite room of the small cottage. The sudden loud noise causing the thin, dirty brown haired teenager to shoot up from his small bed with a yelp, a line of ink from the small quill he wrote with spreading across the page of the small book he had stolen when he was a few years younger.
He stood up, stretching his arms with a small yawn, tired from his long day and walked into the small kitchen of the cottage where a young, teenage girl with fiery red hair and a freckled face stood an irritable look on her face as she stood over a large pot of a bubbling vegetable soup. Robert gratefully took a small wooden bowl of the mystery liquid and gulped it down, almost gagging from the horrid texture of the mixture.
"You don't like it do you?" the girl said, hands on hips, a disapproving glare plastered on her face.
"Well you're getting better Anne. It has a more…unique taste this time around." Robert said in a jovial voice, his sister's attitude didn't seem to improve. She only sat down on one of the small wooden chairs and sighed.
"Listen Robert…Not now…" Anne said, a particularly glum tone in her voice. Robert could see the frustration in his older sister's eyes and his face hardened. Knowing that something was wrong and he had a feeling who was behind it.
"It's Roger again isn't it, what has that perverted fool done this time?"
Anne sighed with melancholy, the memories of what her arch-tormentor had done to her that day…The thought of not only today's incident but the previous ones across the years almost bringing her to tears.
"He refused to leave me alone! You know how smitten he is with me and how desperately I want to stay away from him but…While you're always out working he always pays his little "Visits" to see me…He's always goes on about how wonderful of a bride I'll be and what we should name "our children." I don't know how many times I should say no…"
Anne placed a hand up to her face with frustration…Tears threatening to spill from her eyes… Robert himself sighed and sat down next to her, placing a hand on her shoulder.
"Look…Do you want me to go deal with this?"
"What?! NO! He broke your arm the last time you stood up for me…I don't want to have to take care of you again because I can't fight my own fights! I know you're trying your best and all and your giving me money on the side but…I don't think there is anything I can do about it…" Anne said, her shoulders slumping with sadness.
Robert could see the twinkle of a small tear running down her freckled cheeks, like the first drop of rain before a vast thunderstorm and he took her hand, giving it a reassuring squeeze.
"Look, don't you worry about Roger…I'll think of something…I'm sure of it and as for me? Don't be scared for me. Your little baby brother can handle himself alright? Besides I'd be more worried where your pendants gone."
Anne looked downwards at her chest, expecting to see a shiny brass pendant hanging from her neck, however it had mysteriously disappeared. She looked up towards her brother only to see him twirling the small piece of jewellery in his hands. A smirk plastered across his face, "Honestly you should be more aware of your surroundings sister."
Anne allowed herself to grin back, sitting up straight with a playful tone,
"Why you little…'
'OI! CAN YOU TWO BE QUIET?! I'M TRYING TO SLEEP!"
Robert and Anne looked towards the door to a small room opposite them before shrugging and looking back to each other. Robert still smugly twirling the pendant in his hands while Anne playfully stuck her tongue out at him before saying in a hushed tone,
"What did I do to get a brother like you?"
"Nothing, just chance. Now I advise you get to bed sis. I may be younger than you but I have more stuff to attend to…Oh and a little word of advice…If Roger keeps on bothering you and he goes on about someone stealing his things…You know who'll be responsible…"