I was disappointed in season 4.
So here we go.
She smiled at the maid, as the young woman carefully placed the two teacups on the table.
The maid was relatively new and glanced nervously at the baroness, as the older woman placed a framed picture on the table with care.
She almost dropped the cake stand, as she was in awe of the older woman's sad eyes.
"That will be all," the baroness said when the maid had served the tea and set the teapot down.
The maid looked at her confused and glanced around the old dilapidated pavilion.
"Madam wouldn't you rather I wait with you until the guest arrives." She asked.
"That will be all," the baroness repeated.
The young woman understood and disappeared.
The baroness dropped a sugar cube into her tea and gently fondled it into her tea.
She looked at the photo of her grandson.
He was so young. Far too young.
She put her cup to her mouth.
Wendy hoped her old friend would come soon.
Her eyes glided up to the top of the pavilion.
It looked so old now. She could have sworn it had not been that long, since Eric had it built for her.
She signed, as she put down the teacup
Many years ago, in the English countryside.
She narrowed her eyes and pull the bowstring back.
This would require a bit of concentration.
She was just about to let the arrow fly through the air when her little brother came running toward her.
"Wendy, Wendy!" He yelled at her.
She let go of the bowstring in surprise and the arrow flew towards the target board, where it got stuck just a few centimeters from the center.
She grimaced at the sight and looked at the little boy.
"What is it?" She asked irritated.
"The baby is coming," he yelled at her as he came closer.
"Oh." She said in surprise and dropped the bow and hurried after him towards the house.
As soon as she came into the house, she could hear her mother's moans from the kitchen.
Her younger siblings stared scared up at her.
She had no idea what to do…
"Go up and see if there are any women in the guestrooms," the raspy voice of their grandmother said.
Wendy looked up, she hadn't noticed the old woman at all.
She looked at her 4-year-old sister. "Go up and see," she instructed her. "Tell them that mom is having a baby."
The little girl nodded and ran up the wooden steps.
Then she looked at the youngest of her younger brothers. "Go get the midwife, as fast as you can. Tell them mom is having a baby."
He ran out the door.
She looked to the old woman for advice.
The old woman smiled at the two children. "Go get your father, boy. And lead me to your mother girl, I'll help with what I can."
The last of her siblings ran out the door, and she helped her grandmother stand and let her to the kitchen.
Her mom was holding onto the counter with one hand and holding his stomach with the other.
She placed a hand on her mother's arm. "I'm here," she said.
Her mother looked tired but gave a smile.
"We need to get you into bed, dearest," the grandmother said, and Wendy let her mother into her parents' bedroom and let the door stand open.
Her mother squeezed her hand. "Good girl," she whispered.
"Go find some towels," the old woman instructed, as she sat down by the bed.
Wendy went off to find some towels in the bathhouse. She hoped the midwife would make it in time. She feared what would happen if she didn't, as Wendy didn't know how to deliver a baby.
When she came back into the kitchen a woman was warming water, while comforting her little sister.
Wendy recognized her as one of the guests that had spent the night.
She smiled warmly at Wendy and let her into the bedroom.
There two other women were pulling her mother's skirt up to her stomach, while the old woman whispered softly to her.
One of the women took the towels from her and her grandmother whispered something to her mother and her mother started sobbing.
Wendy ran from the room in fear and scared her little sister who still stood in the kitchen.
The little girl looked at her older sister. "Is mother hurt?"
Wendy didn't know what to say or to explain, so she took her sister by the hand and lead her outside the kitchen door, where the best view of the village was.
There they waited until they saw their brother running towards them.
"She's coming." He yelled.
Behind him, they could see the village midwife hurrying along as best her legs could take her.
Normally they weren't supposed to take the guest in through the kitchen, but Wendy let the midwife into the kitchen and pointed her towards the bedroom, where they could hear their mother screaming.
The midwife went in, and the three children looked at each other not knowing what to do.
Wendy led them into the big hall and sat down at a table.
Her little brother seemed especially scared when the screams of their mother grew loud enough for them to hear.
A few men came down while it lasted, but when they saw the children and heard the screams, they quietly went outside, like they knew what was happening.
After some time, the screams died down and were replaced with those of a baby.
Wendy went into the kitchen, with her two siblings following closely behind her.
Suddenly the kitchen door flew up and their father stepped in.
He barely acknowledged the children and went towards the bedroom door.
One of the women opened it for him with a smile and let him in.
The oldest of her younger brothers came into the kitchen too, out of breath and holding two dead rabbits.
The now four children looked at each other in confusion when Wendy took the rabbits from her brother and put them by the sink.
Then the door to the bedroom opened again and the midwife bade them come in to see their new little brother.
The children then stepped into the room, where their mother laid on the bed with a bundle of towels in her arms.
Their father sat beside her on the bed.
The youngest girl crawled up on the bed and crawled up beside her mother where she looked down at the bundle.
She narrowed her eyes and tilted her head at it, then her face lit up. "It's a baby."
The women around her giggled.
After a few moments of them looking at the baby, their father stood up.
"Well, we should prepare to send the guests on their way," he said.
The children nodded annoyed and went to their respective chores.
Wendy carefully skinned the rabbits the way her mother had taught her. If even a tiny bit of the fur was left on the rabbit, her father would have a problem.
As soon as she was finished with the rabbits, she put the meat into a big pot, which she then filled with water from a bucket.
Her little sister handed her a basket with vegetables and she started cutting them, as her brothers entered the kitchen.
"The last one just left," the oldest, Edward, said and sat down near the doorway.
There was quiet for a while. Wendy just concentrated on the vegetables.
All three of them heard the baby cooing from the bedroom and their mother's light laughter.
Her little sister took a step towards the door.
"Eva!" Wendy reminded her.
Eva pouted and leaned against the table.
"Let her go, my dear." Their grandmother said from the doorway. "It wouldn't do any harm."
Eva didn't wait for Wendy to respond but ran into the bedroom.
Wendy sighed as she watched the door close behind Eva.
Her grandmother sat down on a small chair beside Wendy and patted her on the head.
"You did very well, my dear." The old woman said softly.
"Do you think there is going to be a lot of guests tonight?" Edward asked.
"Even if we don't, we have to celebrate the little one's arrival." The grandmother said.
Wendy put the cut vegetables in the big pot.
At least there was going to be a lot of rabbit stew.
"Edward!" Their father called from outside.
Edward jumped up and ran out the door.
Wendy looked out the window.
Her father was standing where she had stood this morning with a bow in his hand.
Her grandmother followed her gaze and smiled.
"It's far too early for them to learn that." The old woman said. "He didn't learn how to use a bow before he was 10."
"I know how to use a bow," Wendy said and looked down at the big pot.
It was so filled, she probably needed help carrying it to the firepit.
Her grandmother patted her shoulder.
"My dearest..." She began but didn't continue for a few moments. "Some we want something, that we can't have, simply because it is out of our reach."
Wendy's lips quivered. "But … I'm really good."
The old woman stoked her hair. Knowing this was very difficult for the little girl to understand.
She was the oldest of the children. She was kind and honest, and she looked after her siblings, but … she was also a bit too wild for a girl. It was quite normal for girls to be fascinated by riding or using bows, but there were standards for what a girl should do.
Wendy turned to the pot and tried to lift it. It was far too heavy for her.
She opened the door and called for her father to come and help her.
The old woman watched in silence as her son lifted the big pot over to the firepit and hung it on the little stone hook and her granddaughter went to get some wood and matches to lite the fire.
Wendy didn't rebel against the standards exactly. She did all her chores without complaint and was very polite and rarely made a fuss, but she stared longingly after her father when he went out to hunt and snuck out to play with the bows between her chores.
The girl came back in and lit the fire under the pot.
The grandmother just smiled.
She would be fine ... everything was fine…
Wendy and Eva watched from the kitchen door.
It seemed like the whole village had come to see their new baby brother.
Eva giggled as Edward and the younger brother David lifted out the big pot. "Everyone likes the baby, he's so cute."
"They came for the rabbit stew, not the baby," Edward said and they placed the pot on the table.
"Edward!" Their mother scolded him from a rocking chair beside the table.
He made a face but didn't apologize.
David copied the face.
"There he is," said the village smith, as he walked over to their mother and leaned down to get a better look at the baby. "What a strong-looking boy. You know, I am looking for an apprentice..."
"It'll be a few years, before we even consider where this one will go, Liam." Their father laughed.
The smith joined in the laughter and turned to the other four children. "But you should probably stop having children soon, Edgar. There won't be enough work for your sons, or men worthy of your pretty daughters."
Their father just laughed in response.
David looked at Wendy confused, but she looked towards the ceiling, amazed at the shapes the lamps at each table made on the wooden ceiling.
"Well, thank you all for coming and wishing us well." Their father said loudly. "Let's eat and drink to my new son Arthur!"
The villagers clapped.
Wendy knew that was the sign to start serving out the stew and serve the people drinks.
Wendy yawned as she wiped the last mug and put it back in place.
The last guest had finally gone to sleep, so she and her mother could finally sleep too.
Her mother patted her on the head. "Skip the washing tonight and just go up to the others."
Wendy nodded and yawned again.
She took the candle by the kitchen door and walked out into the dining hall, and stepped lightly as she walked up the stairs, as to not wake anyone up.
She slipped into the room. There were only two rooms downstairs, one for mother and father and one for grandmother. So the children slept upstairs in one room.
Wendy put the light down beside the bed and started pulling off her apron and outer skirt.
Sometimes she missed being little. They had gone to bed a long time ago, while she helped their mother clean up. Though … she was glad to help.
"Wendy?" David moaned, as she pulled the blanket aside and climbed into bed.
She shushed him gently and put a hand on his head. "Go back to sleep..."
"What did that smith mean about there not being work for us and men for you." David yawned.
Wendy patted him lightly and shushed him again. "Don't worry, just go to sleep."
"Wendy...!" He whined.
Wendy sighed.
"When we grow up, we'll get married and move away from the inn, that's all." She whispered.
"I don't want to move away..." he yawned.
Wendy patted his cheek. "Yes, yes … now sleep..."
She turned over and blew out the candle.
"You stay here … too..." David mumbled in his sleep.
So ... that was the first chapter. Glad I finally got started back up again and I'm looking forward to this journey :)