France, 1417

In the town of Arras, in France in the year 1383, I was born. I was named after my mother, Anne, but my father always affectionately called me AnneMarie, after my mother’s name and the Holy Virgin Mother. My mother had given birth to two sons, one (prior to my birth) who died at the age of fourteen months and one (after my birth) who died at the age of three. My father was a merchant who dealt in textiles, mostly tapestries, and traveled frequently so my mother and I were often sent for extended periods of time to be left in the care of my father’s cousin and her husband, Philippe the Bold and Margaret of Flanders, the Duke and Duchess of Bourgogne. The Duchess practically raised me as her own and, with the consent of my parents, saw to my education including reading and writing French, English and Latin. In this, my mother and I learned together. I learned courtly arts and crafts from the Duchess and her ladies and got a head for business from my father as he would tell me his tales when he would come home. My mother took care of teaching me the womanly arts of household management.

When I was seventeen, I was given in marriage to Pierre de Garmeaulx from Rennes, the second son of Sir Robert de Garmeaulx. At the time of the marriage I took his family name. The next summer my father died a happy and wealthy but very old man. The estates of my father went to my mother but under the executive direction of the Duke.

Sadly, I was unable to conceive until my 24th year at which time our joy was restored upon the birth of our first child, a daughter. Two years later a second daughter was born. Once again a daughter was born three more years later. We, my mother, my husband and daughters, lived in Brancion in the manor that had belonged to my father’s family, located near the residence of the Duke and Duchess, and remained there after Philippe’s son, Jean sans Peur, became Duke in 1404. Pierre divided his time between responsibilites to the Duke for training the local boys in the arts of war and managing the thriving tapestry business left behind by my father.

When the English army headed by Henry invaded, my husband traveled north to join the battle and lost his life at Agincourt trying to save France. My mother, daughters and I moved back to Arras, to the town of my birth.

In the years that I was a widow, I did my best to manage what was left of my father’s business. My daughters continued to be a joy and my mother remained strong and healthy.

We took an extended holiday and traveled to the Middle Kingdom, where I met the handsome Duke Dag Thorgrimsson. Several years after our meeting he, with the consent of the current royalty of the Kingdom, Brannos and Rebekah, asked for my hand in marriage. I consented.

We are happy and enjoying our lives together in the glorious Middle Kingdom.