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”
Tag Archives: Christmas
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”
Advent Calendar Story: Day 12
The Toyseller It was hard to know what to pick. Ursula jingled the copper pennies in her fist and glanced back and forth between a little rag doll with a flouncy dress and button eyes and a wooden horse with wheels you could pull by a string. At last she decided that if it wereContinue reading “Advent Calendar Story: Day 12”
Advent Calendar Story: Day 11
The Tavern “I heard the graf was down in the market yesterday with a woman!” “A woman? St. Hildy’s bones! I thought horses were all the man cared for.” “He’d best start prizing skirts over saddles. He needs an heir! If he doesn’t get one, Sigismund will take most of his domain and give itContinue reading “Advent Calendar Story: Day 11”
Advent Calendar Story: Day 10
Women Winding a Ball of Yarn “Don’t fidget!” snapped Aunt Elisabeth. The silence was what was making Ursula fidget. Usually her aunt gossiped away about the neighbors as they wound balls of yarn together for her knitting work, but not today. Ursula didn’t mind winding so much as spinning. True, her arms got tired fromContinue reading “Advent Calendar Story: Day 10”
The Rookery 