Chapter 1: The Houseless
When The wife of a middle-class lord of the realm fell sick and felt her end was near, she gathered in her chambers her six children one by one. The Lady gave each child her possessions, or what was left of them. The lady held her eldest daughter’s hand. “Finola, you are a lady of the house. My daughter. After I’m gone, your job is to restore my father’s house and our family name. Whatever you do, my darling, don’t you get pregnant, you hear? Things will be better for you one day, but not if you fall pregnant to that low-life Baron.”
Finola looked away from her mother. “Yes, momma.”
The lady’s dry cough echoed in her large room. “I give to you, my daughter, my father’s cuff links. One day it will suit you best to use them, and you will know when. I love you, Finola. Take care, my daughter. Send the next one in.”
Finola went away, and in her place came Peter.
Peter sat down as he looked at his mother.
“My son, one day you will have everything you want in life. Finola and your intelligence will help you get there. Take care of both of them, and I promise you they will take care of you. I leave to you my father’s golden shoes. One day you will know when you should use it, until then keep it safe. It’s expensive and will help you. I love you, my son, send in Gadriel, Charles, and Lance.”
Peter’s eyes opened wide. “Mother, what about Amir?”
“He, I will see last. Do as I say, I haven’t much time.”
When her three children came in, The Lady smiled. “Be good for Finola and obey her every word. Stick with your brothers and sisters. They will see you through the hard times. I love you, my children. Please bring Amir quickly.”
Lord Amir came in last and smiled at his mother. Amir shook his head as he fluffed his mother’s flat pillow. He poured water out of the basin into a cup. He held the cup to his mother’s dried, crusted lips.
Once his mother was done, Amir walked over to her raven, which was skin and bones. The raven was barely moving until Lord Amir picked out a red satin cloth napkin from his pocket. “Here you are, Cruixe. I left you the choicest and biggest morsels this time. Please enjoy and get better soon. You are a wise bird and deserve the best. I only regret that we fell on hard times and cannot give you as much as we had.”
The lady watched her son for a few minutes, a twinkle in her eye. “Sit down, my beautiful Cinder.”
“Yes, mother.”
“Cinder, do you know why I asked you to come in last?”
“No, mother, but it’s okay.”
“Sweetheart, I asked, because you are my favorite. Don’t tell the others, but I wanted you to be the last thing I see before I die. My son, I give you my favorite thing in all the world, Cruixe The Raven my father gave me.”
“He’s a clever bird, mom.”
“Yes, he is, and if you will let him, he will help you along with Finola to bring you to the greatness you deserve. Just promise me two things, no matter what.”
Lord Amir didn’t hesitate to respond to his mother. He rushed to her side, holding onto her. “What mother tell me? I’d do anything for you.”
“Be good and pious and always feed Cruixe. Both of us will take care of you. He from his perch and me from heaven.”
“I promise, mother.”
The Lady died in Lord Amir's arms as he hugged her.
Once Lord Amir finished crying over her dead body, He carried her out of her room and into his, despite the protests of his siblings. He laid her on his bed and sealed the door. Lord Amir went to her bed chambers, tears in his eyes. “Cruixe, my mother is dead. You are the wisest of all birds. I have no money to give her a proper burial. The others wish to bury her in the community burial ground with the non-houses or, worse. They fight over whether they should place her on the virus funeral pyre. I can’t do that to my mother. You cannot ask that of me. What can I do? Tell me, please.”
Cruixe looked at Amir for a moment. “If it’s a burial plot, lord Amir needs, bury her yourself under the Lady’s favorite tree. Grant me access to that tree whenever I wish.”
Amir wiped his eyes. “You are wise, Cruixe, as always it will be. I will set you free every morning by the tree or whenever you wish it, as long as you come back to me.” Lord Amir buried her on the land in her favorite spot and visited her grave every day. He kept his promise to his beloved mother and remained pious and good.
