Self-Review – Aenor the Wanted

Let’s Look at Aenor the Wanted

A good nine hundred to twelve hundred years ago or so, some of the most extraordinary technology in the world was mechanisms used for grinding wheat. In Aenor the Wanted, her father owns such a device.

I wrote this story during the third quarter of 2021. The one-word prompt was: mill.

Background

The early medieval period in particular is just so unknown to us. Records are sparse, and particularly the records of anyone who wasn’t a landowner. And women and girls? Forget about it, unless they were queens or princesses.

So, I wanted a situation to come up (which may very well have happened in real life) where a woman would become the owner of some valuable property. And make no mistake—Aenor is probably only about twelve years old or so.

After all, she’s not expected to live past her thirty-fifth birthday. And she’ll only make it that far if she’s very lucky. Still, she’s gotten past the biggest hurdle—surviving past her ninth year of life.

Plot for Aenor the Wanted

When a fever kills her brothers, the miller’s daughter, Aenor, becomes his sole heir.

Being wealthy means any man in the village wishes to court her. The blacksmith, the butcher, and the tailor all try to woo her. But then the lord’s youngest son sends a troubadour as his emissary to see if he can win the not necessarily fair, but certainly rich, Aenor.

Yet Aenor’s truest wish is to take the family wealth and use it to afford an instructor, so she can finally learn how to read. But that may be something that even the kindest husband would find frivolous.

Aenor and the Other Characters

The characters are Aenor, the daughter of the miller, and Wolfram, the lord’s troubadour. Her father is William. Three of her suitors are John Butcher, James Smith, and Michael Tailor.

There’s also Sir Richard the lord’s youngest son, and two cooks from the castle, Kate and Sally. Just like everyone else, their surname is just their profession.

Memorable Quotes

The butcher presented a literal fatted calf. “The bread and the meat go together, you see.” He looked her up and down. “Just like you and I will.”

I felt a chill scrabble up my back. He is loathsome. Perhaps the blacksmith will be better. I turned to face him.

The blacksmith was as old as my father. “My gift to you is this.” He presented me with an ornate wrought iron bar, crossed with a second such bar.

“What am I looking at?”

“A fence if you wish. Or the framework for a home. The fire will always be hot, and I will always have work.”

I nodded. Between the two of them, he is better. But is he the best? “Those are good qualities.”

“He is old,” the butcher sniped. “You will never hunger with me. And a fire will be unnecessary. I will—” he apprised me again, “keep you warm in other ways.”

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Wolfram standing near the edge of a stream. He gazed at me briefly and then, I felt, he made as if he wasn’t watching.

“John Butcher,” I said, “If my father will not speak up for me, then I will speak up for myself. I do not wish to hear any more talk of bedroom activities. If you persist, then I shall refuse you.”

“Aenor!” My father was shocked. “You cannot say such things.”

“Papa,” I looked at him squarely in the eye, “If our circumstances were different, you would be insulted on my behalf. And you would have been doing everything in your power to vouchsafe my chastity.”

Rating for Aenor the Wanted

The story has a K rating. Nothing truly nasty happens, and even the ‘villain’ is well on his way to a better life by the end of the story.

Takeaways

I think this one turned out all right. But the ending is a bit too pat. Everyone gets something, and that’s quite simply not the way real life works. Particularly not life in medieval times.

And her name? It’s the same as that of Eleanor of Acquitaine’s mother. Eleanor quite literally was just ‘the other Aenor’.

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Want More of my Short Stories and Novellas?

If this story resonates with you, then check out my other articles about my shorter works.

Short Stories

Finally, for a complete list of my shorter works, please be sure to check out the Hub Page—Short Stories.