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She sat down the dirty platter on the growing pile of dishes that the scullery maid was washing. After promising the other maid that once she was sure the nobles would not demand more food to be delivered, she would help with the dishes, she went back to Lynet and Drusilla, a smile overtaking her face once more. "Fat birds?" She chuckled at the insult. "Usually, I would say we ought to be careful if we do not want them to hear us, but since I did hear some of them referring to the Lord de Vere as French Pig, I do not think they would mind much. Have you met him, Dru?" She addressed her sister just as she took Lynet's offered flask and took a sip from it, slightly wincing at the taste. In response to her friend's playful scolding, she scrunched her nose, "Only to watch it all vanish within seconds. Hopefully more food ended up in their stomachs than on each other's clothes. If you need any help, though, or just company while you cook, I will glad to be of service, you know that." She speared a ham with the fork she found nearby and took a bite. Humming appreciatively, she said, "Ugh, food made for God, this is, Lyn. So good." She tried not to speak with her mouth full, but she did not quite succeed.

NOON MEAL / Servant's Table

How long has this pretty owl been drinking? wondered the minstrel as she accepted the flagon. She took a light sip from the flask and raised an eyebrow that was partial admonishment, partial amusement. “I think I need to drink a bit more before I can enjoy it as much as you are.” Drusilla smirked as she looked down at the flask before taking a drink from it then handing it back to Lynet. Glancing at Elle as she joined in, the older Sparrow smiled, saying, “Please, spare me from having the misfortune of carrying that fat bird to the even fatter ones sitting on their prestigious rumps.”

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Really, how was it possible that the meal had just started but she was on her way to bring out the fourth turkey from the kitchen? What kind of stomach did these nobles have? As she was passing by the servant's table, the platter of poor turkey remains on her arms, she caught the conversation between Lynet and her sister. "Care to trade?" she repeated what Drusilla said, but lifted the platter in her arms instead, her face twisting in slight disgust and incredulity. "I would trade with either of you any time."

NOON MEAL / Servant's Table

The Servants Table is splayed out in the kitchens, optimized for quick on-the-go grabbing of food as the servants and peasants bustle in and out with platters, flagons of wine, and more food for the nobles in the Great Hall. There are several large turkeys on the table, as well as fruit, yams, and other roast vegetables. 

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The chaos had died down a bit. As each of the nobles found their own chambers the silence of the castle had come back; at least for the time being. The new visitors were given the choice to either get settled in, get some rest or tour the castle. Probably due to their exhaustion, most of them chose to catch a few hours of nap before they would have to socialize once more. This choice was obvious because now, the hallways were eerily silent. The chatter and the hustle and bustle had gone. It was as if the commotion that the visitors had caused was just a figment of the imagination. At the thought of this, Eleanor shook her head. Of course it was not just a dream. Of course it was real. She knew that starting now, up to who knew how long, the new inhabitants would be joining them. Eleanor was both excited and scared about this fact. Though some of the nobles were really strict, and some of them were arrogant, Eleanor had met some that are really nice. She really would not mind serving them, to be honest. She had in inkling that for the next few days or even months, their duties would be doubled. The maids that usually just took care of the linen, cleaned the chambers, like her, would be assigned a noble lady to personally assist. Even though it had not been ordered yet, Eleanor already promised herself that she would try her best. But for now, she had to concentrate on the sheet she was folding, it was her usual duty, something very familiar, something she had grown comfortable and accustomed to doing, just like laundry. She  hummed as she folded the sheet, neatly putting the edges together and running her hand to remove the creases on the fabric. Just like usual, she hummed as she did her task, her mind already wandering off to whatever place she was thinking about at the moment. Again, her mind was far too occupied that she did not notice someone was approaching, not until they were right in front of him. 

A smile instantly pulled at her lips the instant she looked up to see Cedric smiling at her. She was just about to ask him what he was doing there and if his duties were already done when he placed a bouquet of bluebells and forget-me-nots in her hand and took over her folding of the sheets. She looked at the bouquet, taking in the beautiful colour of the blue petals, before lifting them up to her nose and letting the fragrance waft up her nostrils. "They're beautiful, Cedric," she murmured, her eyes shining and her smile widening. And then she walked over to him, stood on her tiptoes and kissed his cheek."Thank you so much," she said, touching his cheek gently before brushing his fringe away from his eyes. "And no, I have not yet eaten. I got a bit distracted by the busyness of everything. I actually did not realize until you mentioned it." As if on cue, her stomach grumbled in hunger. Instantly, she laughed. "There we go, that answers the question better. I think I am hungry, yes. What about you, have you eaten yet?"

Warm & Clean & Bright II Cedric + Eleanor + Helena

As the sun moved slowly across the sky the nobles were brought inside where they greeted one another and were taken to their rooms or for tours or whatever their little hearts desired. Cedric was not privilege to this interaction as he had been sent off running to find a particular squire. When he found the boy in question he sent him off to assist Lord Ulric, as this was the name he had learned belonged to the knight who had been most displeased with him. Now there was a small reprieve for some of the servants, himself included. Cedric wandered into the gardens, checking on the annuals and dusting the snow from thos that would need a bit more sunshine. Unconsciously he began to gather bluebells and forget-me-nots, tying them in a bunch with a piece of twine. Apparently he had left a basket of tools out, it was quite soaked with snow and he stood to bring into the shed. The flowers in his hand were meant for one person in particular, Eleanor. Even when his mind was elsewhere his heart knew what he needed.

With the few hours gifted to them he would seek her out, perhaps they could have a few more stolen moments. The few minutes they shared in the staircase were fresh in his mind, the smile on her face, the smell of her skin, the way she looked at him. Just thining about it made his heart beat faster and before he knew it he was locking the shed and sprinting toward the castle. The first few maids he ran into had not seen Eleanor but eventually he found one that had, a young girl called Cecily told him Eleanor was folding sheets on a level of the Brunswick tower, extras not needed by the ladies residing on that floor. He thanked the young girl, pulling a flower from the bunch to hand to her before heading to find Eleanor once more.

The hallway he found himself in was gilded and lavish, much like the hall in which Lady Isabella resided. A few doors were to his left, tapestries and large windows to the right. As he neared the corner, another hallway, more tapestries, he saw his beloved struggling to fold a very large sheet. With a helpful grin he came up and took her hands from their work. “I have something better for you.” he said as he put the bouquet into her hands, kissing her cheek before bending to gather the sheet and fold it for her, his reach much wider and this more accomaditing for the work at hand. “Have you eaten yet?” he said with concern, tucking the now folded sheet into the closet before him, a closet filled to the brim with clean linens. “You look tired.” and she did, all he wanted to do was wrap her up in the sheets and let her rest to her hearts content. But the least he could do was get her down to the kitchens for a good meal before she had to return to her duties.

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A sea of bodies wound around each other, creating waves of colourful fabric that slapped against one another like a wave would the shore. Voices melded together in a chorus of confused songs, singing hymns of directions towards each other. "Where shall we go next?" "Which hallway to round after this one?" Questions upon questions flew around. In the throng of movement, even Eleanor got confused. She wanted to assist the nobles, but none of them stopped long enough for her short legs to reach them so she can offer her help. All of them seemed to be in a hurry. She could not blame them, though. She understood most of them, if not all, had traveled for days just to honour the king's request. If she had been traveling that long, she would have run to her chambers so she could lay down on a soft bed. 

Eleanor was not one to be unhappy about her appearance. She was not special, yes, but she did not find that a fault in herself. She was contented with how simple and ordinary she looked. She accepted what she was given because for her, everything she had was a blessing. It was in that moment, however, that Eleanor wished she had longer legs. Maybe if she had, she would reach the nobles faster, and they would notice her. If only she had been taller, she would not be this tired bustling after the visitors. She was just craning her neck to see who might need her help among the throng of people, her chest heaving as she tried to catch her breath, when she heard a voice penetrate her hearing from beside her. When she turned to look, she found a woman standing right beside her, chin high and shoulders straight, as she looked over the people passing by. 

"It is not without much difficulty, m'lady," she answered, keeping her voice as steady as possible, and trying not to breathe too loudly lest the noblewoman think that inappropriate. "I have been trying to assist them and bring them to their bed chambers, but it seems they are in quite the hurry and did not noti--" she started explaining, but caught herself. No, the woman might not appreciate her blabbering on. She should not talk to much, she scolded herself. Truth be told, she did not talk to nobles often. She was one of the maids who cleaned bed chambers, changed linens and replaced the flowers on vases. It was not her business to talk to them, but for the special event, more servants had to extend their lines of duty and do tasks they normally would not. This was the case for Eleanor herself. Now, she had to entertain and assist the nobles with whatever they might need. Though she did not have any complaints about it, and was actually glad about it, she hoped she could be good enough. She hoped she would not make mistakes that would offend the noble lady. "Lady Helena Howard of Suffick," she said, basing her pronunciation on what she had heard the lady say. She hoped she did not make a mistake. "If you would allow me, m'lady, I can lead you to your bed chambers."

[ flooded ] [ december 21st 1474 ] [ open ]

Though each noble would declare their own individuality, the shining newness of their wit or breathtaking charm of their daughter, it seemed as though at once, all minds had arrived at one common thought: finding chambers. Regardless of the bright colours one wore or education to be claimed, this group of gilded lilies looked only like a herd of cows, shuffling in one direction with confusion tinted across their already painted faces. It would have been amusing, had Helena not had to join their ranks to find a place to retire. But still, she saw no use to be found in merging into the group, hapless and bedraggled. Instead, she kept her shoulders back and chin high, eyes scanning from the edge of the hall.  "You have managed to keep your head above water in a sea of silks, it seems." Helena extended her voice like a curled finger as the liveried servant came past. "I am Helena Howard, of Suffolk, and in need of finding my chambers before I am dragged to the depths of this gilded ocean.”

[elle-sparrow-blog]

I miss you, I miss you so bad...

I hope you can hear me, I remember it clearly...

The day you slipped away, Was the day I found it won't be the same.

I had my wake up, Won't you wake up? I keep asking why, And I can't take it.

Now you are gone, There you go,  Somewhere I can't bring you back... Somewhere you're not coming back...

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Having grown up together, Eleanor was used to exchanging certain looks with Cedric. It had been a habit of theirs when they were children that they would try to communicate with each other without even exchanging words. It sounded silly, yes, but somehow, it did work. Granted, they did not exactly know what the other was thinking, but based on smiles and how their eyes squinted in glee or how their brows furrowed in sadness, they had learned how to interpret what each expression meant on each other's faces. And so now, the moment Eleanor saw the way Cedric looked at her, she felt her heart flutter in her chest. That look that he gave her, even without words, was able to make Eleanor feel the love coupled with it. She had seen that look cross his eyes multiple times before, but every time she saw it, the overwhelming feeling of happiness that rushed through every fiber of her being still felt as new and strong as it was the first time. And as Cedric's familiar hand enclosed around hers and she felt his lips on her cheek, her eyes closed of their own accord, like she was taking in all that he gave her with just a look, a touch and a kiss, and she did not ever want to let it all go. In a way, she did take it all in and let the feeling of gratefulness wash over her, gratefulness at the love he had given her and gratefulness at how he allowed himself to be a part of her in the way that he had. 

She felt like the luckiest woman in all the lands. Yes, she did not have golds and jewelry, which seemed to be what most women wanted these days, but she did have something no amount of gold coins could ever buy: Cedric's love. She counted it as the best blessing she had ever received because she was nothing special. She was not the kind of woman who had high dreams and goals in life that would someday get her to faraway places. She wasn't a woman who had a name, she wasn't a woman that many suitors wanted. Simply put, she was just Eleanor. Simple, ordinary Eleanor, but the way Cedric looked at her made her feel like the most special woman in the world, so whenever he looked at her like that, she made sure to appreciate every second of it, to relish in it, and to reciprocate with her own touches and her own looks how much she loved him back. 

Her lips curved into a smile at the sound of the nickname he had given to her. She could not help the rush of emotions that filled her every time she heard his voice speak that name for if it was Cedric speaking it, it was not only a name, it was not only said to catch her attention. Within his voice, he also communicated with her a whole world of emotions he was currently feeling. And now, as he hummed the term of endearment, Eleanor felt the emotions, the longing, consume her and push her to reciprocate the gesture. With purpose, her hand rose to cup his cheek. With just that touch, she tried to tell her how much she had missed him. In the way her thumb ran over the apple of his cheek, the pad of her finger seemed to say, Where have you been? I have been yearning for you.

"Stay with me a bit longer, will you? Even just a few more minutes," she whispered to him, her eyes shining with the request. It was a risk, she knew. Some of the nobles still needed servants to attend to them. They could not afford to miss their responsibilities, but the hammering of her heart against her ribs seemed to be screaming, only just a few minutes, only a few... because even just five minutes with Cedric also felt like a lifetime. Time seemed to stop every time she looked into his eyes and listened to his voice. Still, it was not enough, though. At the end of that 'lifetime', she still yearned for him because honestly, she could not imagine a time when she would not long for him. 

She held on tighter to his hand, weaving her fingers through his as she gently pulled him towards the stairs and sat down. Tugging on his hand, she smiled at him as an offer for him to join her. "Later tonight?" she clarified, "In our own feast when the nobles are already asleep? I heard some of the other maids talking about it. Is it true?" There was excitement painting her voice. Already, she could not wait for it. At the thought of someone possibly mistreating Cedric, though, her smile turned into a frown. She ran her thumb over Cedric's knuckle, just a gesture she had grown to do unconsciously. Whenever she would thread their hands together, she could not keep them still. She always had to be drawing patterns in Cedric's skin. Sometimes they were flowers, sometimes they were birds. Recently, though, thanks to Lynet's lessons, she could now write letters and messages on his palm. Yes, she did not know how to write many words as of yet, but Lynet did teach her one important sentence she now wrote on his skin every chance she could. The words, I love you. It was the sentence she learned to write that she was second most proud of; the first being Cedric's own name. "I hope they did not mistreat you, my love," she said, her sadness affecting her voice. Yes, she did not have a nickname for Cedric as beautiful as what he had given her, but she had always called him her love. It was true, it was real, it was the fact in life that she most believed in. 

December 21st, 1474 // Keep In Mind

[elle-sparrow-blog]

"we’ll never be royals. it don’t run in our blood, that kind of luxe just ain’t for us. we crave a different kind of buzz."

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Think of all the days you've wasted Worrying, wondering, hopelessly hoping Think of all the time ahead Don't hesitate, contemplate, no it's not too late Have you ever wanted more? Don't you know there's so much more

You've got to keep your mind wide open All the possibilities You've got to live with your eyes open Believe in what you see

Tomorrow's horizons Full of surprises Don't let them take your dreams away

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She was concentrated on the flame, her whole attention absorbed by the movements the blaze was making, but as soon as the familiar three-note whistle penetrated her hearing, Eleanor's mind snapped back to reality, like it always did. 

It was like a song calling her back home, a beacon of light guiding her way to safety. Quite literally, actually. Ever since they were children, Cedric had always felt like home. Wherever he went, he carried with him the warmth that the hearth in their family home also carried. Whenever Eleanor would hear those tunes being whistled, all traces of fear and all troubled thoughts would immediately evaporate because she knew that those tunes were like a promise spoken to her by Cedric, promises stronger than words, promises as assuring as the security that his embraces provided her. She knew, in her heart, that once she heard those whistles, he was coming, and when she whistled back, he would always find his way to her, no matter the circumstances. 

It was for that reason that the same tune fell from Eleanor's lips, easily carried by the air to the ears of her beloved, meant to guide him to her, meant to help both of them find home again in each other's arms. It wasn't too long after that Cedric's familiar figure penetrated her vision, a figure she would recognize no matter how dark the place because just like a moth to a beautiful flame, she gravitated towards him.

"I'm here, my love." She extended her hand to him, a contented smile tugging at the corners of her lips as all traces of exhaustion disappeared from her face, leaving her eyes shining with nothing but the happiness and the love that the vision of Cedric brought her. "Hello there. It feels like I have not seen you in ages when I saw you just this morning," she spoke aloud, her mind dictating the words falling from her mouth. "So, tell me. How many noblewomen did you manage to sweep off their feet with your beautiful flowers today, Ced?" It was a teasing question, the amused smile on her lips proving just that. She knew for a fact that no matter how many other women smiled at Cedric, he would never forget about hers. After all, that was what he had promised, was it not? He would always keep her in mind, always and forever. In his mind and in his heart...

December 21st, 1474 // Keep In Mind

[elle-sparrow-blog]

December 21st, 1474 // Keep In Mind

With the aid of a tiny candle, Eleanor finished lighting the remaining thick ones that illuminated the staircases on the west wing of Windsor castle. Aside from Eleanor and the shadows that danced on the walls, nobody else was present. The guards that were usually stationed at the foot of these stairs were now scattered all over the other parts of the castle, accompanying the new arrivals. 

Of course the noblemen were at the centre of all attention at the moment. Months and months of preparation had been done in order to ensure that all necessities have been arranged for all the visitors. They even woke up earlier than the break of dawn that day to arrange the welcoming party. Safe to say, even though the day was still young, Eleanor was already exhausted. She had spent most of the day arranging the bed chambers of the nobles, making sure all materials and colours used would be to the liking of the new inhabitants. 

She stared at the shadows on the wall, dark and black, and then at the fire dancing atop the candles. It fascinated her that something as beautiful and bright as that can ever cast something so dark. At the back of her mind, a nagging thought told her she knew this was possible all along because all her life, she had been living with a living, breathing candle's flame. And as she thought of it, her imagination captured her. Among the flames, she thought she saw various shapes moving, swirling. She could not decipher the shapes, but she was captivated by them. There was a tug that urged her to come nearer to the flame, to come closer, and maybe try to see if a flame as beautiful as that can really be harmful. She was so lost in her own thoughts that she had not realized someone else was approaching. Not until they captured her attention.

[elle-sparrow-blog]

Ever since I was really young, I loved to perform in front of people, I loved to be the center of attention. But I didn’t know what it meant to be an actress early on. I just wanted to do something exciting.