________The Grimm________
Basic information:
Last Name: Greenbell
Alliance: House of Obscuvos
Where does she live?: Mishkan countryside
Job: Stable Hand
History:The Greenbell clan were born and bred on Panymium and come from a long line of farmers. Like seeds, they planted themselves on the Mishkan countryside to grow crops and raise livestock. Their lives were hard but simple and that was just the way they liked it. With the sun at their backs and earth at their feet they lived out their lives, rising and falling like corn stalks. It wasn’t a grand living but it was enough to keep the family growing and thriving.
All seemed well on the farm. Generations had passed and the Greenbells remained on their land. The harvests were plentiful and ever so slowly they were making more money. All the work past generations had put into the land was paying off. But then one season the harvest was weak, and the season following it had become worse. The difficulty to sustain all the families that had taken root on the farm was evident. Fear started to sink into their hearts as their land withered and died. What was to become of them if they remained? Their work was turning out far less than they could thrive on. News of a plague began to spread in the farming community and panic rose further. As the harvests continually failed members of the family: Aunts and Uncles, Nieces and Nephews fled to different capitals in hopes of finding jobs and safety. What money the Greenbells had dissipated and so the family that had been making their way out of the peasant life landed right back into it.
All that remained on the farm was Father Borris, Mother Oletha, and their ten children. Thankfully horse breeding had kept a little money flowing when their dry crops on the market only brought flies. Luckily travelers still needed something quick to ride and pull their carriages. But that wasn’t enough to keep Borris’s family fed. Something had to be done. The eldest siblings realized that if they stayed it would just bring more trouble to their struggling family. The oldest, brother Joseph, stayed with his wife to help lend a hand with the withered patch of crops while brother Donovan and brother Stephen left to find suitable jobs. Sister Evaline married another farmer who had settled a few miles away.
Everyone in the area was affected by the plague and poor harvests. The nearest lord that saw over the Greenbell and other families’ farmland had recently lost a handful of their horses and a stable hand. In good graces with the Lord, the Greenbells were called upon to send horses to the castle. Mildred, who always had an affinity for horses, brought the steeds to the noble’s home. The circumstances for both fit: the lord needed an extra hand in their stables and Mildred needed money to send home. The lord set Mildred up in a small boarding room beside the stables and she became a personal stable hand to the family. What little money she makes is sent home to help her suffering family.
Name: Mildred Greenbell
Age: 23
Height: 5'5"
Nicknames: Milly, Sunflower, Sunny
Personality: Mildred stands in the middle when it comes to age of her ten siblings. She’s a simple girl who has lived a fairly simple life up until this time. Some would call her dull, just another peasant girl who has yet to get a husband. But the nickname her family has given her speaks differently. She’s received the name ‘Sunflower’ or ‘Sunny’ due to her strength, durability, and overall cheery personality. Even as the black plague spreads across the countryside and threatens her way of life she continues to work and see the silver lining of the situation. Her family is still alive and although they have run across troubled times Sunny believes it can’t last forever. There is no point surrendering to death before it’s at your door.
Sunny has worked in the fields since she was a little girl. On the farm everyone in some way worked at the age of five. Sunny knows how to till, how to pick a plant just right, and how to take care of horses. Her life as a peasant working on a farm has taught her about the earth and how to work hard. A diligent worker, Sunny has a great dislike for laziness and feels that if you are physically able you should be contributing. Even as a child, she worked hard, and continued to do so as she got older. She helped around the house, took care of her younger siblings, and sought to achieve whatever was asked of her. She was a dutiful child, one that her parents rarely complained about. She was just another cog turning in the slick clockwork that kept the farm functioning. Life was lived day-by-day and uneventful.
Yet life as a peasant has held Mildred back in a few areas. She doesn’t know how to read or write except for a few basic words that were needed if they ventured into town to sell goods. Sunny’s kindness for others has made her rather gullible and naïve.
Telling stories is something Sunny adores. Although her family didn’t read they knew the best stories passed down by word of mouth. Every night after dinner a circle would gather around the fire to speak of fairy tales, legends, myths, and more. It means a great deal to Sunny and it’s something she does with the plague at night. She may not feel right tricking the little Plague into believing one day she’ll be living in the lord’s house, but it gets the Princess through the day with a smile on her face.
Having the plague in Sunny’s life will change things a great deal. Her hard working gruffness will soften. She’ll accept “how to act like a noble lady” classes from the little princess.
A Single Gal:Being a young lady, many have questioned why Miss Mildred is still single. Shouldn't she be settled with children by now? Her sister left and married a farmer to aid the family. Without sister Evaline there was one less mouth to feed. Shouldn't Sunny do the same? Isn’t her vitality wasted working at a stable?
What people don't know is that the marriage money given to the family from sister Evaline's new husband evaporated like water. Sunny may not be educated, but she knows that her work at the stable brings a constant flow of money which is better than a big sum all at once. Her family is so scrapped for cash that if they have too much all at once it will be spent in an instant on things they cannot afford or do not need. So the money she is making may not be much but at least it flows weekly. This is something she can give her family, her way of contributing, even though she no longer lives on the farm.
When Sunny was still on the farm her parents had been concerned as to why she hadn't settled down yet. What could have been wrong with their daughter? But now that question is the last thing on their mind. Lately they have been receiving money from Mildred so their worries have quelled at least for now. Of course that doesn't stop her older brother Joseph from seeking out a suitable match. What will happen when a suitor comes knocking at the door one day? What on earth will little Guinevere think of all this? Will she believe that Sunny should settle and marry? Or hope she waits for her prince to come?
For now, the thought of marriage is the last thing on Sunny's mind. She seeks to support her family and if she's tied to a husband the money will no longer go to the Greenbell farm. Sure, she wants to find a man but that is going to have to wait until everything is sorted out back home. But at the rate things are going she may remain at the stables on her own until the end. Perhaps that isn't so bad?
A noble steed:At the stable, Sunny doesn’t feel alone because she has her horse. Well...it isn't
exactly her horse anymore. When the lord asked to the Greenbell's to bring horses to restock the stables Pa selected the very best ones. Her stallion, Arley, was one of the chosen.
The horse, a strong but gentle giant, had been raised by Sunny since he was a wee colt. He was her horse, and Sunny was devastated to lose him... until she saw that she would be staying, too. Sure, he may belong to the lord of the house now but at least she is with him. Sunny can still groom his mane when it gets tangled, work with him if she is needed in the fields, and even has permission to ride him if she needs transportation. If Arley was left at home during these desperate times, Sunny knows her family would have had to sell him to someone, anyone else, and she never would have seen her stallion again. There are no ifs, ands, or buts about it. So even if Arley is under the Lord's name and no longer hers, Sunny is grateful that the horse is at the stable so she can continue to look after him.
Life at the Lord’s Estate:For over a year and half Sunny has been a worker of Lord Equine. It definitely took some getting used to but Sunny adapted to her new life. It was odd not being around her family day in and day out but Sunny has realized that there is a certain joy acquired when living on your own. Her main job is taking care of the horses and the stable but occasionally she works out in the field. There are several workers that live on the estate but only one other stable hand.
Sunny lives in a small apartment located beside the stables. It’s small but that’s fine when you live alone. Sunny keeps her living quarters tidy because who wants to come home to a mess after shoveling manure all day? When Guinevere is introduced into her life this spick and span room will possess pockets of chaos that belong to the little plague. Some of these would be Guin’s teeny tiny bed that is never made and useless knick-knacks Guin had Sunny bring home. Oddly enough, rather than be angry that her room has begun to shift in the direction of pleasing the small Plague, Sunny doesn’t mind it. Guin’s presence in the room no longer makes it feel…empty.
The lord’s home located in the center of the estate is always bustling. The formal man has a big family and with its size there is a demand for a lot of workers. Sunny is on good terms with the lord and those that work within the household. She sees his children and wife occasionally when they come to the stables or milling around the courtyard. Although the Greenbell family has known the Lord Equine since before Sunny was born, she doesn’t know too much about him or his clan. She understands he is quiet and kind but does the same go for his offspring? What is the limit to his kindness? These unknowns have planted a seed of worry in the back of Sunny’s mind. For a time she believed that if she just did her work and was cordial to everyone she’d never have to face these worries.
When Guin is added to the mix Sunny questions if anyone should see her or not. After all, Guin was born from a tainted object that did not belong to Sunny. If the Lord or anyone found out about the Plague, they could claim that the hairpin belonged to them and therefore Guinevere was theirs. Sunny knows that Guinevere would rather be living in the beautiful Equine household but she would hate to give her up. The Plague may be annoying at times, but she’s wiggled her way into Sunny’s heart. What could happen if the Lord or a family member finds Guinevere? Would he jump at the chance of obtaining the status symbol? Or offer his help to them?
Future Plans: In the future I definitely will be playing with the two girls differing personalities. Sunny is content with her position in society. She likes being outdoors working, taking care of the horses in the stables, and certainly doesn’t mind the tiny space they live in. But Guinevere cannot stand it. She wants to live in the castle! Not next to it. She doesn’t want to work. She wants people to work for her. I’d like to get the two ladies out to see the class differences, especially Guinevere. She has a very fairy-tale esque idea of what a princess is like. What will happen when she learns more about the position?
What will happen to Mildred is unknown. Will the farm revive? Will she go home? Will she marry? Or dedicate her life to horses? Maybe one day she'll own a stable? Or perhaps with Guinevere in her life, she'll discover more about the world and herself. It's hard to guess. So we'll just have to sit back, wait, and see.
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