Star of Heaven: Heir of the Chimes Chronicles (Book 1)

Chapter 1: New Home

Hey friends,

I know that I already published this story once before, but I felt the main character was a tad bit too weak. Which is what I didn't want so I have taken the story on a different route. Hopefully, it is a bit more exciting too. Well, I hope you enjoy chapter 1.

Sincerely,

   Tabitha <3

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A couple walked silently up the steps of Children's Garden Orphanage. It was located in Sleekhollow in the Kingdom of Adeiwyth. The wife looked at the nicely adorned entrance of the orphanage. It was a cobblestone walkway adorned by shrubs and little solar-powered lights. There were a variety of wildflowers growing all around the neatly kept lawn. As well as two big oak trees that seemed to be around the same age as the building itself. The Orphanage had two floors with an octagon-shaped window in the attic. The bottom floor had elongated rectangular windows with red shutters. From the inside of the windows there looked to be white lace curtains hanging in all the windows. The second floor had large square windows with the same white lace curtains as the bottom floor. Overall it was a very beautiful house. One that you might find illustrated in a children's book.

"So, do you suspect the children do the chores around here?" The husband commented

"It could be assumed they did, but perhaps they actually have a hired-hand to help." The wife said mesmerized by the house.

"Well, let us go inside and see for ourselves." The husband said drawing his beloved's attention to the matter at hand. With a nod, they walked into the home. The inside was as beautiful as the outside. The floors looked freshly polished, and there was a red rectangular rug that ran down the hall. Next to the door was a table that had a sign that said "Welcome to the Children's Garden Orphanage!" next to the sign was a vase filled with white carnations and dark-red roses. The house looked very nice and had more light than you might expect in an orphanage. That was why this couple had come to this one. Though it was based on a recommendation given by a close friend.

"Ah, you must be the Eastaughffes!" A friendly motherly voice said coming from a room a couple of doors down. They looked at her and she had a friendly face with crows-feet by her eyes indicated that she smiled often. She wore a lovely casual blue dress and her dark-brown hair was up in a bun. "My name is Marie, and I am the matron of the orphanage." Marie said, introducing herself, holding out her hand. Immediately Mr. Eastaughffe shook her hand.

"My name is Henri, and this is my wife Sarah." Henri said kindly, smiling.

"Ah, lovely to meet you!" Marie said, shaking Sarah's hand. "So, what kind of child do you have in mind?" Marie asked, gesturing for them to walk with her.

"Umm...perhaps a girl," Sarah said and Henri looked at her oddly.

"I thought you said you didn't want a girl, because you wanted someone to help take care of chores." Henri reminded his wife of a previous conversation the couple had.

"Well, perhaps.." Sarah started but was interrupted by Marie. Marie had turned quickly on her heels with her nostrils flared slightly.

"Sir, the girls here can do the same as the boys." Marie said proudly "We, at Children's Garden Orphanage, pride ourselves in our children because we don't judge them based on gender. There is nothing saying that the girls can't do anything the boys can't do." She explained eyes narrowed slightly waiting for Mr. Eastaughffe to say something else against gender.

"Please, my husband meant nothing negative by his comment," Sarah said speaking in a calm voice. Trying to make it so the matron didn't misunderstand their worry. "I was thinking more that the society that we live in now views girls as a nuisance. More so because we live in the higher society." Understanding lit the matrons blue-eyes.