The year was 1452. The place was an estate near Cracow, Poland. This was not just any estate this was one of the estates that belonged to the Krakowski family. The Krakowskis were the richest family in Poland. They owned 50 estates in Poland. 40 more throughout the Germen principalities.
Also 35 Chateaux in France and 30 mansions and castles in Ireland. They were a very high status family. Back to this estate. This estate was 130 years old. The patriarch of the family is Travis Lee Krakow 2nd.
He walked down the grand staircase in the entrance hall. "Good morning Travis" said his sister as she walked in. She had enterened through a door on the left side of the room. She was dress in an elegant morning dress. It was green with pearls strung along the arms. Her hair was layed on the back of her head.
She had long brown hair and light blue eyes. "Good morning Mary" he said with a smile. He walked faster down the staircase. He met her at the landing. "Did you sleep well?" he asked. "Quite well Travis and yourself?" she asked. "Very well" he replied.
They walked out of the entrance hall. They walked through two drawing rooms and down a long corridor and through a doorway. They enter the dining room where the other family members were waiting. "Good morning everyone" Travis said cheerfully. "Good morning Mary and Travis" said a girl who strongly resembled Travis.
"Good morning Travena" they both replied. Travena’s full name was "Countess Travena Maria Krokowski". She was his cousin. She was daughter of his Uncle Samuel. She was thin and around the same height as Travis. She was also the same age as him.
She was blonde and had green eyes. Both were 15 years old. He liked to talk to her and go riding with her. Of course they were not betrothed to one another. The Krakowski family never believed in inbreeding. "Makes the blood thin and the health drop" Travis Lee Krakowski 1st had said in 1402.
"So what are you doing today?" he asked her. "I am going riding" she replied. "That’s good considering that the season starts in a week." "I know and then we all be going to different parties, dances, and balls" said Mary excitedly. She was finally old enough for her first season. Also it was Travis’ first season as well.
They while they ate their breakfast. Afterward Travis went with Travena to go riding. Mary went to walk in the gardens. The gardens at this and other estates rivaled the palaces of the European royalty and nobility. The family made its money not just from farming but also from their multiple businesses.
Travis and Travena made their way to the stables. They got the horses saddled and they started out. Travena loved the feeling of her hair flying in the wind. They raced from the stables to the river Boyne. Travis passed her and thought he was going to win. When she passed him with a sudden of speed.
She raced to the river. "I win" she said laughing. "I let you" he said. "No you didn’t" she laughed back. Travis let it go at that there was no use arguing with her. When Travena Krakowski set her mind to something she won’t relent at all.
Stubbornness was a family trait that most of them had inherited and it showed. Meanwhile in the gardens. Mary was walking along a path of marble. The garden had flowers, trees, and plants of every type.
The estate was around 80,000 acres and about 5,000 of this was just for the garden. There wear pastures and fields included in the 80,000 acres of land. Mary loved flowers and took many long walks through these gardens. She also walk through the ones on the other estates her family owned. The Krakowskis had tenants that paid rent to farm same patches of land but it was not a high rent.
They were kind landlords. Just because they had money doesn’t mean they were snobs. Mary played with her hair as she walked to a very old and very large oak tree. She sat under it and felt its bumpy bark against her white hands. She smelled the flowers and knew she was at peace.
Her hands was white because her family did not work outside all day long like their tenants did. So their skin was white because of the lack of sun. Her mother always said "It is not lady like to have the same color as the tenants Mary". Her skin color showed her status in society. "I do so love nature, but I like parties, dances, and balls to. I can’t wait for the season start!" she thought happily. She also could not wait to show off her new dresses as well. She fell asleep think this with her head leaning against the tree.
