Summer, Year 1767
It was a sunny day when there was knock on the finnish woman's door.
That in itself was unusual as her swedish husband was home and was quite scary, at least according to the town's people. Aino addmitted Su-san was intimidating but once you saw behind his scowling face and scary exterior he turned out to be a big, gentle teddy at heart. Believe her, she found out the hard way.
When she and Su-san escaped (or ran way, depending on your point of view) Ingvar's to build their own ones, at first she had a small cottage for Alfred and herself but then she had had to move together with Su-san. At first she was scared of him (his people HAD taken over her country) and he had seen it in her eyes (she had long ago schooled her face not to show any emotion she didn't want it to show). Once he had broken down infront of her and asked what he did wrong they began their relationship. After they left the Kalmar union they married and Alfred began to call Su-san papa (the wedding was quite fun, especially when Aino introduced her half-brother Eduard and his half brothers, Ravis and Toris, and their friend Feliks to Su-san, Ingvar, Mathias and Fannar... let's leave it at that...)
Then they decided to temporarily move to America. That's where they were right now, near the new port of New York in Elizabeth town, living in a large mannor (or at least by Aino's standards...)
And now there was knock on their door. The only one that had the nerv to go there while the swede was home was the taxer. But they didn't pay taxes, they were nations for goodness sake!
"If it's that damn taxer I'm going to shove his musket up his arse before pulling the trigger," Aino muttered as she stomped to the door. Her afternoon reading and Alfred's lesson in religion had been interrupted... oh, how she hated being interrupted... Alfred had learned the hard way...
Alfred was hot on her heels, ready to defend his mom from the evil taxer. That's what a hero would do, after all. It's what Arthur would do and he didn't want to disapoint his favourite uncle.
Ready to curse the taxer to next week (quite literallly) Aino was very relieved when she saw the visitors.
"Arthur! This is a surprise!" she exclaimed and smiled at the older nation. Then she noticed the just pre-teen next to him. The child reminded her of Alfred when he was that age. In fact, they could have almost been twins if it weren't for the age difference and different coloured eyes. "And who's this little darling?" she asked and bent down to the child's level.
"Good afternoon miss Aino," Arthur greeted. "Good afternoon young Alfred. This is Matthew Williams, also knows as the Northern Territories. Matthew, these are Aino Väinämöinen, Fenland, and Alfred F. Johanson-"
"No, no, no, no! It's Alfred F. Jones!"Alfred interrupted. "Johanson was acceptable when I was a kid but not any more! Anyway, kid, I'm also the Southern Territories! The hero!"
Matthew looked frightened by Alfred's shouting so Aino put on her most reasuring smile. "Nice to meet you Matthew. Please, ignore Alfred when he shouts. It's unlikely for him to say something important when he shouts, you see." She offered her hand to the twelve-year-old looking nation.
"Nice to meet you too," Matthew muttered shyly and shook her hand timidly. As soon as he was done he buried his head to Arthur's coat.
Aino straightened herself and frowned a little at Matthew's behaviour. "Alfred, why don't you take Matthew to the kitchen and get some juice. Also tell the cook to arrange tea and some snacks to the veranda."
Alfred's eyes widened. He wanted to stay with uncle Arthur as his visit's were rare. "But mom-" he began but Aino cut him off.
"Now Alfred," she told him with a glare that sent chills down Arthur's spine, "or it'll be an additional hundrred words to your essey. You may join us at the veranda latter after you've shown Matthew around a bit. And Alfred, be nice to Matthew," she smiled sweetly. A little too sweetly fot Alfred's taste.
He grumbled under his breath, something about being almost eighteen, as he griped Matthew's hand and began to drag him to the direction of the kitchen.
The two adults watched with different emotions: Arthur was amused by the scene he had witnessed and Aino was worried about Matthew. When the youngsters were out of the hearing rage Aino turned back to Arthur.
"Who has he been living with?" she asked urgently.
"At first he lived with Fracis and with me he has been for about three years," answered Arthur, oblivious to Aino's narrowing eyes.
"How much have you been spending time with him while he's been with you?"
"Umm... three months of a year?" offered Arthur who was unsure about it himself.
"Do you know about Fancis – follow me, I'll lead you to the veranda – what about him?" asked Aino, anger leaking to her voice.
"I think it was the same three months," Arthur answered.
"Men!" Aino huffed and stomped ahead, muttering angrily under her breath.
"What ever do you mean?" asked Arthur who heard the muttered curses.
"You don't seem to understand that taking care of a child is a full-time job! Had I not been with the others on our trip here centuries ago they would have left Alfred behind. Matthew... he ptobably fears abondonment because of how both you and Francis left him for long periods of time!" Aino ranted. She couldn't stand people who took children in and then left them. "It's a wonder he didn't start crying when Alfred led him away."
They arrived to the veranda and Aino took a seat on the settee and Arthur took the armchair.
He looked embaraced. "That is one of the reasons we're though... I don't have time for Matthew and as he and Alfred are obviously brothers... I thought you might be able to take care of him..."
Aino tuted at him disaprovingly. "Just for that I should decline so that you could learn that actions have conequenses but I can't sentence an innocent child to the care of bad parents if I can help it..." she interrupted as a girl of seventeen came out with the tea tray and some biscuits.
After she set the tea she hesitated as she was supposed to leave. "My lady?"
"Yes Rose?"
"May I have tomorow off?" she asked nervously.
"What for?" Aino asked. Of course she knew that Tom had asked her for a picnic but she wanted to know if Rose would be honest.
"Umm... do you know Tom from the lumber mill?"
"Of course, polite young man," asured Aino.
"Well, he... he asked if... if I.. if I could go on a picnic with him tomorow," the poor girl was blushing and her cheeks were as red as the redest apples.
Aino looked at her critically. "Do you feel like you're ready for a serious relationship?"
"Y-yes, ma'am," Rose whispered and bowed her head.
Then suddenly Aino smiled gently. "You may have tomorow off, Rose. Infact, I think you may borrow my parasol."
Rose's head snapped up and her eyes were wide in disbelief. "Really, ma'am?"
"Yes, now, back to your chores," she said gently and shooed her back inside.
Arthur had looked at the byplay with lifted eyebrows. He couldn't imagine treating servants like that... letting them have a day off just so that they could go on a picnic...
"Why did you do that?" he finally asked.
Aino, who had been sipping tea, looked at him questoningly.
"Why did you give her the day off?"
Aino set her cup down and looked at Arthur seriously. "If I'm nice to my servants they're more likely to do their jobs better than if I just told them what to do and punish them harshly. It benefits me more in the long run as my servants will be more loyal, even with lesser pay they're more unlikely to accept a different proposal from someone else and leave. Of course, no one can say I pay them too little since most of them live here anyway and get free meals. The only thing I don't provide them is their free time activities.
"But back to Matthew. I will take care of him as long as every time you're here you come and see him, like an uncle would, and bring him small presents, souvineirs, if you will," Aino said cooly and her normally warm eyes held only freezing coldness. "How soon am I to expect Matthew's belongings?"
Arthur sighed in relief. "Inside this week," he replied and sipped his tea. "How is Sweden?"
Aino's behaviour did a full 180° turn and she smiled, eyes full of warmth again. hSu-san's fine. He had a small cold last week but nothing serious. He got the cold because he was doing his rounds around the land and it was raining. He, being the stuborn man that he is, had to finish the rounds before coming in and even then he refused to change his clothes... back in Fenland we have a proverb that fits this perfectly: tyhmästä päästä kärsii koko keho, which means that if you're stupid your body has to pay the price. I still don't know what held him from making the rounds before the rain... though... I think Alfred was in trouble again. I know they think I don't know about their little father-son bonding moments but I am the one the servants report anything unusual to... that day Alfred's clothes had some blood on the... Wonder what heroic deed he was doing when he was hurt, h Aino easily chatted about the ongoings from the manor.
Half an hour latter Alfred and Matthew joined them on the veranda. Apperently the two youngsters got along well enough and Aino didn't notice anything amiss with Matthew's behaviour other than the fact that even though he tried to talk someone always spoke before him or over him. She sure would have her work cut out for her...
Latter that evening:
Aino had called a family meeting telling the males of the family that it was something important. When they all sat in the lounge she began.
"As you know Arthur and Matthew visited us earlier this afternoon."
"Yeah! Matthew's fun when you get him to talk! And I got to save him from falling down from the apple tree! It was awsome!"
"Alfred, if you'd please restrain yourself while I'm trying to tell you something important," Aino sighed but gathered herself. "They came for a purpose. Arthur has finally realised that taking care of a child is a full time job and has decided he doesn't have the time needed to take care of Matthew. As Matthew and Alfred are brothers, he decided to ask me if I'd be willing to take care of Matthew. I said yes."
There was a long silence.
"WHAT!"
"He'll be moving in some time this week."
"Mom..."
A/N: And there is Matthew! And Arthur finally listened Ainos parenting advice...
1764 was the year Brits gaind control of french colonies in North America, Canada among them...
BTW, the years 1676 (last chapter) and 1767 (this chapter) were totally coincidental...
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