A Lord at His Dinner Leopold pushed his lamb tagine around his plate with his spoon. It was one of his father’s favorites: Graf Friedrich von Regensburg had hefted home trunksful of brightly glazed crockery and sacks of spices from his stint in North Africa during the Crusades, and Leopold always had the cooks prepareContinue reading “Advent Calendar Story: Day 22”
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Advent Calendar Story: Day 21
Stars Sidonie von Neubeuern sat in her family’s chapel in Saint Hildegarde’s and looked up at the ceiling, where an artist hired by her grandfather had painted the Virgin coming down from heaven surrounded by clouds and stars. The stars had been painted in real gold, and they glittered in the late light streaming throughContinue reading “Advent Calendar Story: Day 21”
Advent Calendar Story: Day 20
The Man in the Moon “I’m surprised how few patients you have now compared to when we returned from the battlefield,” Leopold said quietly to Ursula as they finished the rounds of the ward and stood by the fire watching the patients getting their soup before settling in for the night. “Is it true thatContinue reading “Advent Calendar Story: Day 20”
Advent Calendar Story: Day 19
The Laundry Ursula laughed out loud to herself as she hung out yet another set of sheets in the drying room above the hospital ward in the castle. She was working just as hard now if not harder than she had in the tower. And yet the work felt so much easier. It was warm,Continue reading “Advent Calendar Story: Day 19”
Advent Calendar Story: Day 18
The Letter Leopold sat down at his desk and looked at the letter lying on it in front of him. Bernard had given it to him as soon as he had returned from Regensburg. Leopold recognized Sigismund’s own spidery hand in the address. He shook his head. Things were not going well. He was notContinue reading “Advent Calendar Story: Day 18”
Advent Calendar Story: Day 17
The Cradle Bernard looked up from Leopold’s letter to watch his youngest granddaughter Elsa play with her doll, tucking it into its wooden cradle, singing it “Leise Rieselt der Schnee.” He smiled. “Is the baby sleeping?” he asked her. She frowned at him and held a finger to her pudgy lips. “Shh, Opa,” she said.Continue reading “Advent Calendar Story: Day 17”
Advent Calendar Story: Day 16
The Treasure Chest “Your royal Highness, Graf Leopold von Regensburg!” The maître d’chambre stepped aside, and Leopold walked past him and the two guards flanking the entrance to the Great Hall of the Schloss Regensburg to kneel before his cousin, Prince Paulus. “God keep you, your Highness. All your subjects from Regensburg greet you. WeContinue reading “Advent Calendar Story: Day 16”
Advent Calendar Story: Day 15
The Toyseller (Part 2) Leopold pushed the head of the wooden bird down over and over again, marveling each time at how its tail of real feathers swished up into the air. He shook his head: “Now, the man who can make this has real skills,” he said. “Unlike a graf.” Bernard chuckled and turnedContinue reading “Advent Calendar Story: Day 15”
Advent Calendar Story: Day 14
The Dancers It had been years since Ursula had had a meal anything like the feast at the burgermeister’s. Elisabeth pinched her pennies until they oinked, and Christmas at her house was all of a stewed hen and dumplings if she were in a good mood. Ursula’s father had loved good food, being a wineContinue reading “Advent Calendar Story: Day 14”
Advent Calendar Story: Day 13
The Bell Tower “Ursula! The bells! We have to go….” Ursula ground her teeth and balled her hands into fists behind the dressing screen in Sidonie’s room. “It doesn’t fit. Just go without me.” “Oh, honestly!” And then Ursula was being yanked by the hand out from behind the screen and twirled around by Sidonie,Continue reading “Advent Calendar Story: Day 13”
The Rookery 