By the end of fall, a lot had changed in the Florebottom household.
When Ofelia returned home, she went to her mother’s arms and cried. Valeraine was lucid enough to know her darling girl was in pain and offered comfort to the best of her abilities.
Ofelia spoke about what just had happened and her sweet insane mother, fixated on it.
When Bildad returned that day, Valeraine talked and talked about Ofelia’s predicament , and that she him wanted to find her a betrothal. Someone sweet, like honey, docile like a lamb.
Bildad tried to talk around her, believing Ofelia needed time to mourn the relationship, but Valeriane nagged until he caved. In someway she was right that his eldest daughter needed a husband, and someone who could move into their hut instead of her moving into his.
"The best way to meet someone, was at the alehouse" as the old simvarian saying goes.
Bildad did not think he would find a husband her for his daughter right away, but he might get to know the regulars enough to introduce them to Ofelia that would make his wife happy. He had plans of heading there after selling the produce he and Ofelia gathered, when he meets a young, handsome town guard.
His name was Flavus Eldwick, Bildad had known of him since moving into Hopebury. Young and orphaned, he became a guard in hopes of earning enough to buy land.
Bildad and Flavus talked- it was light and friendly, and he felt Flavus would be great for his daughter.
After a few weeks, Bildad brought Flavus home to meet Ofelia officially. She was smitten right from the start, as he was sweet and kind. It would not be long before they were officially betrothed, their wedding planned for winter.
Flavus would not inherit his future brides name or land- Ofelia would be an Eldwick, and when she dies, the property that the Florebottom family owned would go to their eldest son. But she would own the hut, the stand and the occupation of gatherer, perhaps even becoming a herbalist in the next generation or two.
With everything surrounded around Ofelia, her heartbreak and her now betrothal, yet again Primula felt forgotten by her family.
It was always the same- Ofelia this, Ofelia that, poor, poor Ofelia, having her heart broken by a brute who could not stand up against his nasty mother! Then engaged to a town guard their father picked up from the streets! While Primula worked to feed them all by fishing, and rarely got anything from it.
But when she would lash out on Ofelia for being the favourite- she would get scolded.
And yet again Prim would leave home, not bearing to get lectured by Valeriane “the mad”.
Sometimes, Primula wished that someone would just appreciate her and notice her… To love her. She barely felt it at home, as if she was a ghost long since mourned.
Winter is coming to Hopebury... And with it the the taxes of the fall round needed to be sent of to the steward.
The Florebottom family should be proud to have earned 3146 simvarian florence - which allowed them to keep the cozy sum of 1573 flo to begin the winter.
(Hopebury coffers currently contains: 8 960 simvarian florence!)