Blessings from Middelan

[Phersades 1710]

[!] A painting of Klara Miray van Aert with her eldest daughter, Amelya.

Spoiler

 

 

They say that one of the greatest joys in life is having children, that nothing will ever compare to watching one’s own grow into the world around them. I had doubted this in my youth, wondering how such a responsibility could be the pinnacle of joy - but when I was blessed with my first child, I understood. As soon as her cries broke though, I felt a sense of love that I had never experienced in my life.

Alongside that love came so much more, including, overwhelmingly, fear. I worried with everything she ate that it would be poison to her. I worried that every fall she would take would be her last, with everything she touched how it might hurt her. I know I am not alone - they are the natural thoughts of any new mother leading to that overprotectiveness - though I do believe that nothing has made me a more protective mother than living through war.

The world around us is evil, and oftentimes people will do the worst things to bring others pain. I had therefore wished to keep the knowledge of my children’s arrivals to a minimum, to allow me the opportunity to raise them privately amongst family and out of the public eye. Recently though, my eldest has reached an age that she was comfortable with making her presence known to the realm. Who am I to deny her that?

I am therefore incredibly happy to announce that on the 25th of The Sun’s Smile, 1931, our eldest daughter Amelya Rose van Aert took her first breaths. Born with a clouded right eye, we had been advised by our personal physicians to keep a watch on her vision and allow for her to grow accustomed to this impairment. Otherwise, she was born strong and healthy.

In the five years since our Amelya was born, we have been blessed with three more. On the
23rd of The Sun’s Smile, 1932, our second eldest, Esmee Elize van Aert, was born with a radiant complexion, named after her grandmother Esmee Gabrielle. 

 

Only a year later on the 15th of The Grant Harvest, 1934, did we welcome our first son and third child, Mikhail Yves van Aert. Named after Esmee Gabrielle’s other half, Nikolai Mikhail, My grandfather. 

And finally, just this last year did we deliver our fourth - and I feel, likely final - child on the 1st of Harren's Folley, 1936, Elias van Aert. 

 

Signed, 
Her Grace, Klara Miray van Aert

 

Spoiler

Thank you to @bickandofor looking over the post, and also playing Amelya alongside @ShvdwWzrdMnyGvng @Calioos and K3

 

[beetle 3315]

Quote

In the five years since our Amelya was born, we have been blessed with three more. On the
23rd of The Sun’s Smile, 1932, our second eldest, Esmee Elize van Aert, was born with a radiant complexion, named after her grandmother Esmee Gabrielle. 

 

Somewhere in the beyonds, an old Kortrevich Countess smiled. Her legacy lived on.