Legends of Godiva: Part 5
Surviving a Viking camp is not easy.
Based on a post by LingeringAfterthought in 5 parts. Listen to the Podcast at Explicit Novels.
Godgifu found Cnut sitting by the stream, absentmindedly throwing rocks into it with a sour look on his face. She walked to his side and rested her hand on his shoulder, "I'm sorry;" she said quietly.
"Why the Pindsvin sorry?" Cnut said quietly, "Afraid of Cnut the beast? Think he cut off the Pindsvin face for arguing with Cnut? You think easy? Be king to three countries?"
"And some of Sweden;" Godgifu added. "No; I don't. Half the time I can't deal with Coventry, much less Mercia. No; I meant I was sorry for assuming the worst about you. I only knew about you from stories told by people angry and hurting about what they had lost in war. After all that, I didn't even want you to be a man, much less one who's; well, goofy and likeable," she said, sitting down next to him.
"Not likeable. The Emma; she not like Cnut," he said with tired resignation.
"Look, if you say another woman's name during sex, of course she's going to be mad;"
"No. The Pindsvin not understand. The Emma not mad. The Emma not like Cnut. The Leofric say 'everyone like Cnut,' but the Emma; no," he said, throwing a pebble into the water.
"Well, what have you given her to like?" Godgifu asked, pulling a blade of grass out of the ground and putting it between her thumbs and blowing, making a loud screeching squawk sound. "What I mean is, you were in Coventry just a couple hours, and you got Sir Hulgar to like you; and he doesn't like anybody," she said, bumping his elbow with her shoulder.
"We play dice;"
"So, you spent some time with him, doing something he likes to do? Okay; when do you spend time with Emma?"
"Cnut king of three countries; spending time difficult. Give her good fuck. She even make the squirrel sound with good fuck, but then turn away after. Not talk. Not make the spoons. Just take the candle and the feather and scratches the paper with the ink and cries. The Emma not happy, not like Cnut. Maybe she think Cnut beast, too."
"So, now you're going to Torksey so Leofric can tell her that, despite you saying Aelfgifu's name during sex, you're not fucking her anymore? Your plan is to prove the Emma's wrong to be upset and that you're right?" Godgifu asked.
"Yes. Tell her Cnut is right, good husband;" he said, his voice trailing off until he sighed heavily. "This; not good plan."
"Nope. Telling us we're emotional and wrong about feeling something is pretty much going to go very badly for you every single time. You know what's a good idea?" she asked. Cnut glanced over at her uneasily. "Bringing me along with you," she finished.
"The Leofric; he not like this idea. The Pindsvin is small; break easy," he said, throwing a larger stone into the water.
"Yes, and the Leofric also won't tell you when you have bad ideas. I will. Bring me along, keep me safe somewhere and I'll help you win over the Emma. No problem. Everything fine," Godgifu said, imitating him and earning a scowl from Cnut.
"Pindsvin; you know Cnut not think 'everything fine' when he say 'everything fine,'" he admitted.
"Yes, Sire. Leofric knows, too. He just won't tell you so. He's too nice. He'll just help you anyway and probably get himself killed. Then, you would have an even bigger problem than no Emma," Godgifu said.
"What problem then?"
"Me."
"Ah," Cnut said. Then, he stood and slowly pulled his tunic up and over his head, revealing a tanned and toned torso, bulging with muscles, so ridiculously gorgeous and perfect that Godgifu started laughing aloud. Knowing exactly the affect he had on her, Cnut grinned, threw his tunic at her, shucked his pants, and waded into the water to wash himself.
"Leofric! Help! I need to come again!" Godgifu laughingly yelled through the trees, watching Cnut bathe.
"Dammit woman, I'm currying Harold!" Leofric yelled back. "What happened? You were just supposed to apologize, for God's sake!"
"I am Cnut!" the King announced in explanation, causing Godgifu to burst into giggles. "Leofric! The Pindsvin comes with us to Torksey! Help us to win the Emma!" he yelled.
"What?" Leofric said, quickly running into the clearing. "Sire, that's; that's not; I mean; perhaps we should consider; it might not be;"
"The Pindsvin come! I am Cnut!"
"Don't I get a say in any of this, Sire?"
"See, I told you," Godgifu said, gesturing to Leofric. "He's too nice. You need me." She stood and pulled Leofric's tunic over her head and threw it down at his feet.
"Well, why does he need you?" Leofric asked, exasperated.
"I am Pindsvin!" she yelled happily, running naked into the water.
Cnut, Leofric and Godgifu scouted the camp at Torksey, a fertile swath of land close to the banks of the River Trent. Numerous shelters and lodges lined the rough paths of the Vikings' army's winter home. Smoke came up in several places, no doubt from fires stoked by metalworkers that were melting down items stolen from England's holy places.
Much to their surprise, there was also a small, but steady, stream of people approaching the camp. Cnut explained that it was known that many English towns nearby did business with the winter camp, but he never heard tell of numbers that would explain what they saw today. Everyone funneled toward a single entry point, where they would relinquish their weapons, submit to inquiries, and hand over a sum of money or goods before being allowed into the camp.
Godgifu whispered to the two men crouched over where she lay behind the bush, "All right, so the plan is, I get in line, go in there and tell them I am a maid you sent to Emma, and then I talk with her and try to get her out of there;"
"No. That is not the plan. You're staying safe here at the ca;" Leofric said, frowning down at her, only to be interrupted by the King.
Cnut grunted in agreement. "Yes. Plan very good. And the Pindsvin not say about when Cnut spray seed on numsen;"
Godgifu looked over her other shoulder to Cnut and rolled her eyes, "Why on Earth would you think I'd tell her about you coming on my ass? Honestly; you think that we'd just be chatting about court or hairstyles and I'd just blurt out 'Oh, by the way;"
"No. You won't be chatting with anyone about anything because you will be here;" Leofric said, tugging her braid to turn her head toward him. Godgifu tugged her braid out of his hand, turned back to the King and raised her eyebrows, waiting for the answer to her question.
Cnut held up a hand, effectively covering Godgifu's entire face, "Cnut knows the women. They get together. They say all the things," he said darkly.
Leofric growled in frustration, "Diva, stop ignoring me. That is a Viking camp. Do you have any idea what they do to people, much less to someone like you?"
Godgifu clenched her jaw and shook her head, "Leofric, you know I should be the one to go. I speak the language and I'm not, well; you two. If you two go and they recognized Cnut in there, they might hold him hostage and there's not a lot of people in the Witengamot that would pay to get him out. You can't go because you look exactly like every guy that's been fighting them all this time and they'd probably kill you on sight. Nobody ever worries about me because I look like a little;"
"Pindsvin; hedgehog, yes," Cnut said absently, patting the top of her head while squinting at the line of men entering the camp.
"So; what do I tell her to get her to leave?" Godgifu asked, worriedly watching Leofric rise angrily and stalk back to their camp.
"Tell her Cnut is here," he said, shrugging as if saying the obvious.
Godgifu snorted and rolled her eyes, "Well, why would that make her leave the camp? You go off to another country after saying the wrong name when you were having sex and all of a sudden she's supposed to jump for joy when she gets a summons from you? No. You need to soften her up a bit. Be nice. Remind her of the good times. Like, what did you say when you asked her to marry you?"
"Not ask. Treaty. Treaty say 'Marry Cnut and promise not kill the Emma's Aethelred children. Send them to France. Not-dead children love France. Chalk cliffs. Good cheese. Everything fine."
"Oh, dear God, you've really been leaning hard on this good-looking thing, haven't you?" Godgifu grumbled under her breath.
"I am Cnut;" he said, shrugging.
"Yeah, you are Cnut; and the Cnut is handsome. But, you know what? If you want to stay married and be a good king, you've gotta work harder than that. You've had it easy because you're tall, gorgeous, rich and powerful. Problem is, you're no longer trying to get a woman to bed, now. You're trying to make your wife happy and that's a completely different thing. A woman might get stupid once or twice about a handsome man, but unless you build more than that, she'll only hate herself more and more every time she gives in to you. Orgasms only make you happy for so long. Not-dead children living in another country aren't a good basis for a marriage, either. It doesn't give you a lot to talk about. I wish Leofric didn't hate the idea of it so much. He would know what to say," Godgifu said, glancing back to the grove of trees where Leofric had disappeared.
Cnut grunted, "The Leofric has good words. Good words; ugly face."
"Shut up!" she said, slapping his shoulder, "He's not ugly! He's just bruised. Don't be a jerk!"
"Why the small women always smæk big men?" grumbled Cnut scowling and rubbing his shoulder. "What Leofric say to win grumpy Pindsvin?" he asked.
Godgifu thought for a while and smiled, shaking her head, "Not a thing, actually. In a situation where most people would have said a whole bunch of wrong things, Leofric just stayed quiet and close and invited me choose whether to talk to him; and it made me want to. He red me perfectly. That's what you need to do. Emma needs you to notice her, to enjoy her; to see what makes her happy." Godgifu sighed, looking up the trees to where Leofric had disappeared in the distance. She hated to do this. She wished there was another way.
"So, what makes the Emma happy?" she asked, poking Cnut in the hip with her elbow to draw his attention away from the camp.
Instead of looking down at her, he kept his eyes fixed on the rough looking camp and sighed. "Not Cnut," he answered simply.
"Well, fine. I'll talk with her and get her to you, but just think about what I said, because making this woman happy just became your biggest challenge," Godgifu said.
Cnut grunted in agreement and handed her a small pack, strapping it on her back and across her front in a way that seemed odd, yet comfortable. Looking back to the camp, she squared her shoulders, trying to be braver than she felt. "Okay;" she said, coughing to cover for her throat tightening in fear, "I'll come back as soon as I can. Tell Leofric; tell him; you know;" she said, wiping away the tears that started falling down her cheeks.
Steeling herself, Godgifu started off for the Viking camp, but found her progress hindered when her feet left the ground. "What are you doing?" she squawked, as Cnut lifted her over his shoulder by her waistband and returned to the grove where Leofric had gone.
"The Leofric ready?" Cnut said, casually hanging Godgifu's kicking and squirming body from a branch on the tree and securing the strap around it that he had wrapped around her body under the guise of securing her pack.
Leofric turned from Harold to Cnut, his face a mask of confused relief. "She's; not going then?"
"Pindsvin easy to catch when think she get her way. You not know this? Why work so hard?" Cnut said, casually ducking as Godgifu's foot grazed his ear. "She watch from here. Know her Leofric safe."
Leofric nodded, glad Cnut couldn't see the fury in Godgifu's eyes. Leaning in and hoping she didn't take a bite out of him, he murmured, "Watch us. If anything goes wrong or if we don't come back by morning, go back to Coventry and tell Sir Hulgar what has happened. Tell no one who supports the Witengamot, just Sir Hulgar," he said, brushing Godgifu's hair back behind her ear.
"How am I supposed to do that? Loosen these straps. Cut me free. He's tied me up here like I'm going to be spit roasted," she hissed.
"How is it that treason is always the answer to every problem you come across? After we're gone, use the knife you're trying to wriggle out of your sleeve. You'll be free in 20 minutes. Now, give me a kiss for luck;" he whispered. Godgifu's lips trembled, unshed tears filling her eyes. Finally, she nodded and lifted her face to his. Expecting trouble, Leofric pecked her lips quickly and just barely dodged a head-butt from his future wife.
With a glare of annoyance, Leofric reached behind her and pulled the hidden knife out of her sleeve, throwing it to the ground out of reach. Then, purposefully, he ran his hands over every inch of her body, removing three more weapons before he finished with her. "You come back," she said, wriggling against her bindings. "You come back, Leofric, or so help me I'll; I'll do the most dangerous thing I can think of; and then I'll keep doing dangerous things until I can join you again," she vowed.
Leofric only smiled, took her face in his hands and kissed her tenderly, coaxing her lips with his until he felt her soften and kiss him back. "What did I do to deserve you?" he asked, smiling and pressing his forehead to hers.
"The Leofric was punishment for the Pindsvin tax debt! Come!" Cnut shouted, starting down the hill toward the camp. Leofric sighed, kissed Godgifu one last time, and took off to join the King.
Godgifu watched the two men stride downhill and join the line of people waiting to enter the camp, slipping a length of thick wire out of the cuff of her tunic, careful to avoid the serrated edge carved into one side and began sawing away at the leather straps binding her to the tree. Her eyes never moved from the two men casually joining the line of men waiting to join the camp, trying to read their body language, drawing any possible meaning from the slightest gesture.
Just as the men reached the front of the line, Godgifu cut through her bindings and climbed onto the branch to which she had been bound. When it was their turn to enter, Cnut spoke briefly to the guards. Then, he nodded to Leofric, who reached into his pack for a pouch; probably the money they were charging for admittance to the camp. Leofric handed the pouch to Cnut who passed it over to the guards. They were in! It was working!
Then, Leofric turned toward her, his face lit up by the golden setting sun, and smiled. Godgifu almost raised a hand to wave to him; and then he sneezed. Leofric had done nothing more exciting than sneeze, when suddenly, as Godgifu watched in horror, the guards started shouting and sacks were thrown over both Leofric and Cnut's heads as the men protested, their hands were bound behind them, and they were dragged away kicking and struggling.
"Watch us. If anything goes wrong or if we don't come back by morning, go back to Coventry and tell Sir Hulgar what has happened;" Leofric's parting words echoed in Godgifu's mind. She had no intention whatsoever of heeding them, but having his voice with her was a comfort as she crept through the darkness around the edges of the Viking camp.
Godgifu was accustomed to sneaking around unseen. After years of sneaking out of the castle, past servants and Sir Hulgar's watchful eye to rid herself of the veils she had to wear and put on the comfortable dress that she wore as Lady Godiva, she could easily melt into shadows or walk through lit places and be mistaken as someone else. These skills served her well as she prowled the cold marshes surrounding the encampment, watching and learning.
She had seen the men drag Leofric and Cnut toward an area where numerous boats had been pulled onto the land and prepared for wintering. Had they been killed? Why would they have been brought to such a place? It didn't look like anyone spent much time out here with the boats. Most of the camp's population preferred the warmer areas where the metalworkers' fires burned. After searching the boat area, the only thing she saw was a disgruntled man arguing with himself as he carved a knife handle out of a piece of bone.
Frustrated, Godgifu took to watching the occupants of the camp instead. Most of the men were engaged in some form of metalworking. Some were sorting pillaged items according to their metal into piles, where they would be moved to different areas of the camp to be broken into pieces and melted into coins or ingots by the ever-burning fires. Slaves were everywhere. Mostly boys and young men, though there were some women, as well. The most menial tasks were reserved for the male slaves: feeding the fires, carrying non-precious items around. The female thralls were most often seen sewing or cooking food, when they weren't regularly being pulled into a shelter to service one of the Vikings.
From what Godgifu could tell, when they weren't counting their plunder or forcing themselves on their slaves, the Vikings mostly argued with each other. It appeared the camp was made up of several disparate groups of Vikings from different areas in Norway, Sweden, and Denmark. The languages were all somewhat similar, and because Godgifu spoke Danish, she was able to understand most of what they were saying. As for why they were arguing, it was surprising how petty it all was.
Apparently two enormous blonde men, Hafdan and Gorm, were at odds because Hafdan used Gorm's favorite cup without permission and dented it when Hafdan came to blows with Toke over the proper lyrics to the song "Orm's Bloody Stump." After knocking Toke unconscious with the cup, Hafdan won the argument, but sadly the exceptional cup was irreparably damaged, in Gorm's view.
Skarde told anyone that would listen that Leif's campsite was encroaching on his campsite. He ended his rants by pointing to a large rock marker he had placed at the border between the two shelters, promising that anyone who dared to touch it would be smelted along with the copper. Godgifu also saw Leif emerge and nudge the rock over a touch when Skarde had gone back inside his tent.
Bjorn was despondent after burning half his beard away while playing a smelting prank on Balder. Apparently, the smelting prank involved a comical explosion of sorts, which killed Balder's favorite bed slave, as well as leaving half of Bjorn's beard charred away. Balder was insisting that Bjorn pay for the loss of his bed slave, and Bjorn was insisting that Balder should cut off half of his own beard first. Balder, for his part, did not appreciate Bjorn's logic.
Most of all, the Torksey Vikings argued about something called "hnefatafl." Godgifu didn't understand the word, but it appeared it was a game involving many pieces on a board. It seemed to be like chess, but with one player starting with their pieces clustered in the middle of the board and the other player's pieces surrounding them.
Godgifu learned that the Torksey camp was having a hnefatafl tournament, which explained the steady stream of people entering the camp after paying a fee. What she also gathered was that the tournament was not going well. Apparently, all the Viking groups that populated Torksey had different rules for playing hnefatafl, and because there was no recognized leadership among the different groups, the tournament that was likely intended as an enjoyable diversion for the colder weather had mounted quite the death toll amongst them. Indeed, it was rare that two Vikings of different bands would sit down at a hnefatafl board and it wouldn't end in blows or bloodshed.
None of this explained why Leofric and Cnut were bagged and dragged away at the main entrance to the camp, but Godgifu hoped that an explanation and news of their welfare would come in time. Considering that the Vikings had no problems with maiming or striking each other dead for the slightest infractions, the fact that Leofric and Cnut were not killed immediately was actually encouraging. Godgifu had no doubt that if the Vikings wanted them dead, Leofric and Cnut would be dead.
It was in a tent-like shelter on the outskirts of the camp that Godgifu found Queen Emma. Unlike the other shelters, it appeared somewhat cleaner and even more telling were the cracks of light between the walls of the tent by someone using candles inside. Gathering her courage, Godgifu waited until she would not be seen, and then crept up to the opening in the tent, where a soft voice could be heard muttering English in a vaguely French accent. "He roughly clasped her slender frame in his manly arms, shocking her untested virtue with the passionate, throbbing heat of his turgid;"
"Um; my Lady?" Godgifu whispered loudly.
The voice fell silent, the occupant obviously pretending that no one was there. Godgifu would have found the situation amusing, if it weren't also so serious. "My Lady, I need to speak with you," she pressed.
Silence.
"My Lady, it is urgent;" Godgifu persisted.
"Just leave it by the door and go!" the voice said, somewhat annoyed now.
"My Lady, I don't have a package. I'm here to;"
"Are you daft? How can you be so tedious? Go away!" the voice yelled, and then an apple core flew out of the tent, narrowly missing Godgifu.
Godgifu, Countess of Mercia, while versed in the usual political delicacies of court, had not had the privilege of practicing patience with imperious and obstinate people for a while. That, coupled with the fact she was cold and miserable from creeping around the camp in a marsh for several hours, may have explained why instead of dodging the passing fruit, Godgifu caught it and returned it to the Queen at a high rate of speed. The core virtually exploded on the back of Emma's head as she hunched over something she was writing.
The Queen of England, Denmark, Norway and some of the Swedes, having thusly been invited into polite discourse, flung the flap of the tent aside, revealing a tall woman of striking presence, and keenly intelligent eyes. "Thorstein!" she screamed.
"Oh crap;" Godgifu said, shrinking back into the shadows. "My Lady, please, I need to tell you something." Emma ignored Godgifu's words and hoisted the smaller woman by the waistband of her pants.
A rather embarrassed-looking Viking came running over from a tent nearby, putting his clothing back into place. Emma held Godgifu out to the man, "Thorstein; take this; whatever it is; to the kitchens and have it cooked. And if you allow one more person to come to my tent unannounced, I will personally;"
"My Lady! Please listen!" Godgifu interrupted, "I am a maid sent here by; someone you know? I've come with an, um; escort? He, uh, also needs to speak with you?" Godgifu interrupted, hoping her hints would be enough to get Emma listen and help her without disclosing in front of Thorstein that one of her escorts was in fact the country's King. "He, um; his English isn't perfect, but he really needs to talk with the Emma. Everything fine. No problem."
Queen Emma stared at Godgifu, her regal face coldly impassive. The silence that followed seemed to stretch on forever. Godgifu struggled to remain still under the other woman's acute examination. She had a sudden urge to confess to everything she had ever done in her life, such was the intensity of Emma's scrutiny. After what felt like an eternity, Emma dropped Godgifu into the mud, and turned back toward her tent. "Thorstein, go bring a hot bath. The maid's not going anywhere near my things smelling like that," she called over her shoulder.
"Actually, my Lady, slaves bathe over by the;" Thorstein began.
Emma whirled around and stalked toward the Viking as he shrank back uneasily from her, "Thorstein, when you begin a statement with 'actually,' like I am some deranged creature that needs to be gently reminded of reality, I really do feel compelled to abuse you with one of those tent poles."
"One of those 'turgid' tent poles;" Godgifu offered. At this, Emmas eyebrows raised in an expression of delight and she ran inside her tent and scribbled something frantically. Godgifu looked up at Thorstein in bewilderment, "She didn't just go use 'tent pole' as a euphemism for a cock, did she?" she asked.
Thorstein shook his head frantically with a look of panic on his face, "Hist! Don't; don't ask about her stories," he hissed, then turned and ran back toward the main camp.
Emma immediately darted out of the tent the moment he was gone, "Thorstein will be gone a while now. Take me to the King," she ordered.
"I can't. I don't know where they are. I think they're still alive, but I don't know what's happened to them," Godgifu said, unsuccessfully trying to wipe the mud off herself.
Emma wrinkled her nose in distaste. "Come in and tell me what you have to say; and, for God's sake, leave those clothes outside."
By the time Thorstein had filled a small tub with water, Godgifu finished telling Emma of the events of the last two days. To say that she was not pleased would be an understatement. "Oh, good God; why on Earth would that meathead follow me here?"
"Well; because you're his wife?" Godgifu suggested.
"A distinction that is not as unique as I had once hoped," Emma said, turning away toward her writing, looking troubled. Godgifu watched as Emma's face slowly changed as she red the scroll, her troubles disappearing as she immersed herself in the story. Her face gradually grew more and more dissatisfied as she neared the end of the document. "Ugh, I can't do anything with this. I should just kill everyone and start again," she muttered, crumpling the parchment and throwing it across the tent.
"Please tell me you mean the story, my Lady;" Godgifu murmured.
"What? Oh. Right. That. You say they were bagged?"
"Yes. Everything was looking good, they were going to be admitted to the camp, and then Leofric turned to me; then he sneezed.; and then everything just went mad. They threw bags over them and dragged them away toward the boats."
Emma sighed. "They are in quarantine. They must have thought Leofric was ill. There has been a fever going around the towns and they are very careful about anyone coming into the camp. They still want the entrance fees, so they throw the visitors into a knar until they are sure they will not spread disease throughout the camp; or until they die."
"Well, I'm almost certain Leofric's not ill. Sunlight makes him sneeze. It's the strangest thing, but it does. The sun was behind me and it was in his eyes. Do you think we can we get them out?"
"Why would you want to? The man leaves you to run off with an idiot right before your wedding, and you being heavy with his child!"
"What? I'm not pregnant!"
"Don't be ridiculous. Look at you! Those tits! Your ass! It is enormous!"
Wrapped in a blanket and still shivering, Godgifu took a deep breath hoping for patience; or another apple core to throw at the Queen. "Be that as it may; wouldn't it be better to go resolve our differences in a place that;"
"My Lady! There are two men here who wish to hold counsel with you," Thorstein said, slightly out of breath.
"I cannot go until the tournament is finished," Emma told Godgifu, ignoring Thorstein. "And the tournament will never be finished because these idiots cannot agree on a set of rules and;"
"My Lady, Trygve claims that the axe Magnus is fashioning is too similar to;"
"Cut Off His Head, Then!" Emma yelled.
"Which one?" Thorstein asked.
"I don't care! Whoever is slowest!" Emma replied. There was a scuffling sound and rapid thudding as the two men ran from the tent. "Are they still there?" Emma asked after a pause.
"No, my Lady," Thorstein replied, sounding like he was trying not to laugh.
"Is the bath ready?"
"Almost, my Lady. I need to bring a few more rocks to heat it."
"Then go bring rocks, Thorstein," Emma said.
"Yes, my Lady."
Emma waited until Thorstein's footsteps could no longer be heard, then she continued. "Anyway, until these imbeciles finish their tournament, I cannot award the prize, and they won't finish the tournament until; what is it? Why is your hand in the air?"
Godgifu blinked in surprise to see her own hand raised. "Um; I have a question. What; what was that?" she asked, pointing out the tent opening.
"What was what?"
"Thorstein with the men; the argument; the beheading;" Godgifu said, waving her hand in the air in bewilderment.
"Oh that. That's nothing. I was invited here by a friend and he let it slip out that the Queen will be awarding the prizes, hoping to draw more entrants into the tournament. Of course, now they are bringing me their idiotic arguments for some damned reason and I swear if I must hear one more grown man complaining about;"
"But don't you realize?" Godgifu stood, clutching the blanket around her. "This is the answer! They see you as an authority! They will listen to you! They've been sitting around bickering about nonsense because they don't really have a leader to decide things. But; they are asking you what to do! You want this tournament to end; you tell them what rules to go by! Go meet with one of the men from each group and hear how they play honfluffle;"
"Hnefatafl."
"Right. Whatever. Have each of them tell you how they play it. Then, after each one tells you, you praise them and say what a great way to play that is. After everyone has told you how they play and gotten praised for it, you tell them that how henfatawful is played in England is definitely not the best way and how you wish it could be played the way they played it. Then, you take some of the rules from each group and then tell them that this is the terrible way it is played in England, and that you will consider all their better rules for future tournaments. Then they play, you pass out the prize, and then we can all go home!"
"Home; to live with Cnut the Unfaithful and Unromantic. I guess there is nothing else to be done; and I am tired to the point of death of eating eels. Are you so certain they will accept me as an authority?"
"Well, why not first hold court a bit and decide a few of these arguments first? If they start accepting your words as wisdom, it will pave the way for deciding the rules;"
"Hm. That is; not entirely moronic," Emma said, looking at Godgifu with more interest. "I am beginning to see why your people follow you so devotedly. You know, Countess Godgifu of Mercia, I told my husband he should kill you, several times. I am glad he did not."
"Thank you, my Lady; but why would he kill me several times?" Godgifu asked.
"Ugh. Never mind. Go have Thorstein gather the men."
"Her Ladyship will now hear matters of the utmost importance first," Thorstein called out to the crowd of rough-looking men. A clamor arose as several men spoke at once, and then began pounding on each other as others in the crowd shouted encouragement. Godgifu, standing at Queen Emma's side, spoke quietly in her ear. Queen Emma beckoned Thorstein and gave him instructions. "Men with matters of utmost importance will raise their ale cups and wait to be called upon!" Thorstein amended.
Queen Emma nodded to the first man Guthrum, who stood and spoke vividly and at length about the difficulty of finding and catching eels in the marsh surrounding the camp, as well as his strong feelings that his work was under-appreciated by all. Queen Emma, who had by all accounts grown tired of eating eels, along with the rest of the camp, opened her mouth to reply when Godgifu leaned down and murmured something in her ear. Emma turned and looked at her incredulously, but after a moment, turned back to the man and paused to consider her words. "Her Highness is not a stranger to thankless tasks, Guthrum," she said, after taking a deep breath. "You must allow us to express our appreciation for your; generous efforts; by granting you the title 'Sir Guthrum, Wrestler of Eels and Feeder of All.'" At this, Guthrum's eyes grew wide, his barrel chest puffing out with pride, before he returned to his place and enduring the jealous teasing of his companions.
After several hours and numerous creative knighthoods, Thorstein announced that the Queen would hear more of their matters of utmost importance in a few days' time, but that she was now needed to preside over the Commission on Hneftafl Rules so that the tournament might commence. This was greeted by loud cheers from the gathering, who were now intent upon celebrating their new titles.
It was nearly dawn by the time Emma and Godgifu emerged from the Commission on Hneftafl Rules, triumphant but weary. After Godgifu stumbled and fell for a second time, Thorstein put her over his shoulder as he escorted the Queen back to her tent. "What about Leofric and Cnut;?" Godgifu mumbled sleepily.
"We have done enough for a day," the Queen sighed, "they will come to no harm where they are."
"He does care about you, you know;" Godgifu said. "He just doesn't know how to show it."
Emma let out a bitter bark of a laugh. "He cares about keeping his throne. I was the least expensive means to that end. He was my best hope of keeping my children alive. It doesn't matter; what's done is done. You can warm my bed tonight; this morning, I mean. We will see about freeing them when we wake." Emma then fell into bed fully clothed and promptly fell asleep.
As weary as she was, sleep would did not come to Godgifu, as long as Leofric was being held without any news of his fate. So, she crept out of the tent and through the camp to where she had been told they were being held in quarantine and knocked on the hull of the knar. "Hello? Leofric?"
She heard a muffled chuckling coming from inside the boat. "Now, I know that couldn't be my lovely bride, because I recall telling her to go back to Coventry if anything went wrong;" Leofric said. "Thank God you're safe."
"Cnut wins bet!" Cnut called out, triumphantly.
"Did you actually bet that I would go back to Coventry without you?" Godgifu scoffed.
"No, I made a bet with the King on how long it would take you to come here and show me how utterly disobedient you were. What kept you?" Leofric clarified.
"Oh; you know; the Queen and I had some matters of utmost importance to attend to," Godgifu said with a yawn. "She'll work on getting you out of there when she wakes up. You're in quarantine; because you sneezed;"
"Yes, we know. They had a guard sitting with us for a while and he told us our situation. Then, he was asked to go attend a commission of some sort," Leofric said.
"Hneftafl rules! Yes!" Cnut called out. "Is about time! Damn Swedes ruining game! Stubborn pon jumping bullshit; pons not jump. How get them to agree to rules?" he asked.
"It was Emma;" Godgifu said, leaning her tired back against the hull where she could hear Leofric's voice the clearest. "You should have seen her, Cnut; she is so clever; and so sad;" she said, her eyes too heavy to stay open anymore. Cold and weary beyond reason, she pulled the blanket around herself and slept against the side of the boat.
Godgifu awoke curled up on a soft bed, with a familiar-smelling large body wrapped around her. She was deliciously warm with the small exception of her toes, which had been exposed from under the blanket covering her and her bedmate, causing them to become tiny icicles. It occurred to her that Leofric's legs were quite warm against hers, so she adjusted her body slightly and slipped her toes in between his muscular thighs.
"Ah! The hell?" Leofric yelled, yanked suddenly into unwilling consciousness.
"My toes are cold;" Godgifu whimpered, moving her frozen digits to a new place between his thighs that hadn't been unpleasantly cooled by her toes.
"You don't say; God's blood, woman;" Leofric grumbled, pulling her back against him and squeezing his thighs together to prevent her toes from seeking a warmer climate again. "You realize the rest of you was the temperature of your toes when Emma came to get us out of that knar? Take more care with yourself and our child, Diva, or I'll tie you to our bed when we get home," he said, brushing his lips against the back of her neck.
"Ugh! I am not pregnant! How many times do I have to tell people?" Godgifu huffed. "As if I'm not going to be in enough trouble with Sir Hulgar about going missing for days, can you imagine if I returned pregnant and unmarried?"
"I think I would bear more of his ire than you would, upon our return," Leofric mused. "That's why I sent him a message as soon as we were released. I wouldn't put it past him to take on an entire Viking camp to ensure your safe return."
"Any ideas on when that will be?" she asked.
"Hmm; hard to say," Leofric said just as the flap to the outer room of the tent opened. Through a crack between the curtains separating the large bed area from the outer room, Godgifu saw Emma enter looking tense. Cnut entered shortly after.
"There's no need for you to stay," Emma said, straightening her papers with her back to him. "I am sure you have many things waiting for you that are more important than one of your wives."
"Emma;" Cnut said, looking pained.
"No. Truly. I understand. I know how it all works. I learned that lesson early when I was married off to an old man that took my virginity and I gave him his heirs in return. You probably had no more choice in your marriage to Aelfgifu than I had to Aethelred; no more choice than you had in marrying me. We need each other too much to pretend to be lovers. Go rule your kingdoms. Take wives in each of them, for all I care. You have my loyalty. I will sit by your side. I will face the Witengamot with you. I will smile and wave and hold court. Just; do not ask for my heart, Cnut. You do not need it; and it is all I have left of myself."
"Emma;" Cnut said, heat growing in his eyes, and warning creeping into his tone.
"I mean it! Just go! You have your convenient English Queen! Now, leave me in peace!"
"You think because Cnut surround land with steel and ships that Cnut think land was his? No. Land was not Cnut's until soft places inside her yielded and watched for Cnut's return with hunger and joy. England cast Cnut out and he returned ten times stronger to claim her as his own. Cast Cnut out now, Emma; Cnut will return. He will not stop until every soft place is his. I know the Emma; she is not mine until her heart is."
"You do not know me, Cnut. Do not bother to pretend. You can barely even remember my name," Emma said, wrestling her face under control, then straightening and finally turning to face him. "We are a Queen; and Queens can afford no soft places. We wish His Majesty fine weather and safe travels on his way home."
Emma turned back to her papers and shuffled them again while Cnut drew close. Godgifu felt Leofric tense and ready behind her, though ready for what? If Cnut became violent or forced his will upon his wife, what right would either of them have to interfere? Cnut was King. Still, neither of them were of the nature to sit quietly and see a woman mishandled, regardless of the consequence. Godgifu clutched Leofric's hand in hers, frightened. Cnut took a deep breath, then released it, closing his eyes. "Cnut will go," he said quietly.
Emma's face fell slightly, then twisted and recomposed itself. Godgifu's heart broke as she watched the Queen's mouth open, then close, swallowing words she couldn't bring herself to say. Cnut fidgeted with his pack, seeming to want to say more, to tell her his feelings, but frustrated with his inability to express them in her language. "When they wake, you tell Leofric and the Pindsvin I go. Say Cnut gives thanks."
"I will," Emma said quietly.
"Queen Emma come when tournament done? Cnut will come back. Give Queen Emma escort;"
"That; that won't be necessary."
Cnut looked at Emma's back and raised a hand, almost touching her arm, then dropped it and turned to go. He had pushed the flap to the doorway aside when he paused and turned, "Cnut forget; Emma leave this at home;" he said, holding out balanced on the tip of his index finger, a delicately carved quill.
Emma turned, her stricken face transforming, "That's; you found it! My favorite one! I looked for this everywhere! Where did you find it?" Emma gasped, seizing it from Cnut with delight.
"Cnut come home. Look for the Emma. He find the quill that writes about the Eva and the Ragnar with the big cock that never goes soft," Cnut said.
Emma paled and looked like she might be sick. "You've red my stories?" Emma gasped. "I would have hidden them, if I thought; I didn't think you could; I mean, your English is so;"
"Read English easier than speak. Listen; understand; easier than speak. Speak is hardest. This is so," Cnut said, shrugging. After a pause, he frowned in confusion and looked at Emma, "Why make the Eva so small?"
Emma blinked in surprise. "Why is she; well, Eva is petite. She is the ideal woman. Delicate and small; shy and meek," she said, blushing and looking uncomfortable.
"Ideal;" Cnut scoffed, "Eva like small dog man carry around and fuck when he put down. Not interesting; not ideal. Eva should be tall; long arms and neck;"
Emma fidgeted and drew her hand up, brushing it against her long neck absentmindedly. "People; people don't want to read about a tall woman for a romantic heroine; a small woman makes a man seem bigger; more powerful; tall women aren't sexy."
Cnut turned and took a step closer to her, "No; make Eva tall; she walk into room and heads turn and follow her. Smart woman that make heart beat faster or stop with one look; like the Emma at court. Emma walk in room with poison snakes and they become like baby duck and follow her in line," he said warmly, looking up and down her long, lithe figure.
"Don't be; don't be ridiculous; they; they don't;"
"Like baby duck;" he insisted, casually brushing her body as he walked past her and lifted a paper from her desk, "This is new, yes?" he asked, reading it.
"It is; well, I mean it was, but it's; ugh. It's terrible. I just can't;" she trailed off, her eyes flickering back and forth between Cnut's face and the page. Cnut's face changed the way Emma's had when she became engrossed in her own story. After a while, Cnut smiled and nodded at a passage and she leaned in to see which part he was reading.
"This part; the Ragnar slide hand down the Eva's back; Cnut do this to the Emma;"
Emma smirked, "Yes, you did; it surprised me that first night; I thought you would; you know; be impatient to consummate the marriage; the treaty; establish your reign, but you were; well, it; it wasn't what I expected."
Cnut turned from the page, looking over her face with a slight smile. "Emma's back; at the wedding, at court, all that day; the Emma's back hard and straight, like steel. That night; I see back; I see the Emma soft; not Queen made of steel, but woman; I wanted to touch."
"Well, I; I was yours to touch; by treaty, by rights, by marriage. I just; I was grateful you were not cruel. I feared you might be. It was; it was a long war," Emma said, crossing her arms around herself and looking around the tent.
"It was long war; but war not with the Emma," Cnut said quietly, leaning slightly and smelling her hair. "Eva; she should smell like the; ah, lavendel; what is word?"
"Lavender;" Emma said, smiling.
"Yes; the hair smell like the lavender; but not the kusse; how say that? What is word?" Cnut said slyly, putting the story down and winding an arm around Emma's waist.
Emma bit her lips and shook her head, blushing. "Queens do not use this word," she murmured, reaching up to run her fingers through his finely shaped beard.
"Kusse; kusse; kusse;" Cnut whispered, running his lips across her cheek.
Emma shivered, but shook her head stubbornly, trying not to giggle. "Stop it. I am not saying it, Cnut;"
"Kusse; kusse; kusse; kusse;" he murmured, going to his knees and ducking under her skirts. Emma squeaked in surprise, quickly glancing to where Leofric and Godgifu quickly pretended to be asleep. A low, laughing growl emerged from her skirts, before wet sucking and lapping noises filled the air.
Emma gasped and looked around the tent again like she was worried about witnesses, then her head fell back and she grabbed at the table for support. "Oh; you can't; they're still asleep in the;" Emma's breathy protests were cut short when she clapped her hand over her mouth and moaned behind her fingers, answered by Cnut's muffled lewd laughter.
"Say Emma will be wife;" Cnut murmured from under her skirts, doing something that made Emma gasp and grab at his head.
Emma bit her lips, trying to keep from crying out, then gritted out, "It's; not that easy, Cnut;"
A low chuckle came out of her skirts as Emma began losing the battle to remain quiet and cried out as she came. Emma shivered and became weak and languid as Cnut emerged from under her dress sucking his fingers. Before she fell, Cnut caught her up in his arms, looking down at her warmly, "Not easy. Never easy; but the Emma is not Queen; the Emma is paradise; and I am Cnut. Cnut find way."
"You called, My Lady?" Thorstein asked, leaning his head into the entry of the tent, then ducked out quickly as an apple bounced off his head.
"Get out!" Emma yelled. Leofric and Godgifu, taking Emma's order to Thorstein as an opportunity, jumped out of bed, and ran out of the tent naked, hunched over and holding their clothes.
From outside, Leofric and Godgifu heard the muffled sounds of clothes being shed and bodies falling into bed together. They looked at each other and smirked, happy that Cnut and Emma were finding their way together, stifling their laughter as they dressed.
Leofric and Godgifu walked around the camp until the sun began to set, greeting all the newly-dubbed nobility as they passed, intending to return to Cnut and Emma's tent after a discreet time had passed.
As they walked, Godgifu frequently glanced up to see Leofric looking down at her, annoyed and relieved at the same time. "What is it?" she finally asked.
Leofric shook his head ruefully. "My lovely bride sneaks into a Viking camp rather than do the one sensible thing I asked of her. They would have thrown you out of the army," he said.
"Well, you knew I wouldn't leave you, so I don't see why you bothered to ask. I'm not good at obeying orders, Leofric. I've been making my own decisions and ruling over Mercia for most of my life, and if you think that's going to change just because;" Godgifu's argument was cut short when Leofric knelt and pulled her into his arms, kissing her.
She grew soft and pliant under his lips, clinging to him as their kiss deepened. When they parted, she was surprised to feel tears running down her face. "I love you, Leofric. I'm too short, and I'm disobedient, and I do ridiculous things all the time; but for what it's worth, I love you; and I'll love you until the day I die," she whispered.
Leofric's eyes roamed over her face adoringly. "I would have you no other way, Diva. My only regret is that it took so long to find you. Now that you're mine, I'll never;" Leofric trailed off, his arms around her going tense as he looked around them.
When Godgifu turned to see what had distracted him, her stomach dropped. A group of enormous blonde men were walking toward them, spreading out and flanking the two. Leofric rose and subtly pulled Godgifu behind him, feeling for a weapon he didn't have.
Godgifu tried to see if she could recognize the men from the Commission on Hneftafl Rules or the group of recently knighted men, but she couldn't place them. One thing was clear, though, they were not happy. Outraged would be a better description of their mood, in fact. She knew Leofric had only one tool for handling the situation, but she also knew that fighting was not their way out of this.
Squirming out from behind her out-manned protector, Godgifu smiled and asked, "Can I help you gentlemen? Was there a matter of utmost importance you did not get to ask the Queen?" she asked in Danish, trying to keep her voice steady and light.
The largest of the blond moving mountains came closer, leaving the others to form an impenetrable wall around Leofric and Godgifu. He stopped just a couple paces away from them and scrutinized the tiny woman, inspecting as one would an animal they intended to buy. He opened his mouth and a sound like boulders grinding against each other came out of him. "Havande kvinna?" he growled, nearly shaking with offense.
"What did he say?" Leofric ground out between his teeth.
"Uh; I'm not sure; his accent is really thick. That, and I think he's speaking Swedish. Something about a woman?" Godgifu stammered. "Hvad sagde du?" she asked in Danish, hoping that she would understand more if he repeated it.
"Havande Kvinna?" he roared, suspicion now entering his outraged inquiry.
"Uh;ja!" Godgifu said impulsively, hoping that was the right answer.
"What did he say?" Leofric asked.
"I don't know;" Godgifu stammered.
"You said 'ja!' That means 'yes.' Why did you say 'yes?'" Leofric gritted, trying to keep an eye on all sides.
"I don't know. When a big scary guy asks you a question, 'yes' is usually the best answer;" Godgifu explained.
Unfortunately, it appeared that Godgifu's answer did not please the group. Most of them began yelling at Leofric and pointing to Godgifu, then pounding their fists into their hands. "Du Kommer Att Gifta Med Henne Nu!" the closest of them roared.
"Oh! Oh, I think I know that one!" Godgifu said, then spoke rapidly in Danish, trying to calm the group. Most of the men looked at Leofric suspiciously, shaking their heads and beckoning to Godgifu to come with them.
"Diva, what's going on?" Leofric asked, ready to fight.
Godgifu continued speaking rapid Danish, making calming gestures with her hands, but the men would not listen. "Um; Leofric; I think they're upset that I'm pregnant;"
"But you're not pregnant!"
"I know! I told them! They don't believe me, though; especially after I told them I was pregnant, apparently,"
"Well, what now?" Leofric asked, still trying to keep himself between Godgifu and the nearest Vikings.
"I'm going with them for a bit. Just do what they tell you;" Godgifu said, raising her hands and approaching the nearest of the men who lifted her by the waistband of her pants and glowered at Leofric. "It's going to be all right. Trust me. Everything's fine. No problem;" Godgifu said desperately, worried more about Leofric now, than anything else.
Three days later, Cnut, Emma, Leofric and Godgifu rode the horses along the road back toward Coventry, an awkward air surrounding them. Finally, Cnut again breached the silence, "Still not understand;" he muttered, leaning toward Emma as she rode Godgifu's mare Elsa.
"Well, they are married now. That's all that matters. As you promised, Leofric is now Earl of Twywell and Mercia. Godgifu is now an honest woman, their child will have a name, and all is well."
Leofric snorted, "God himself couldn't make an honest woman of this one," he grumbled, pulling Godgifu closer on his lap as he nudged Harold to move faster.
"I don't see how any of this is my fault," Godgifu muttered.
"But why the Leofric upset? He marry Pindsvin. Nice Viking wedding. Everything fine. No problem;" Cnut said, shrugging.
"Viking weddings are not for everyone, dearest. The English; they are backward in many ways;" Emma said, stroking Cnut's arm.
"I think if anyone's upset, it should be me," Godgifu insisted.
Leofric snorted, "You just had to take a bath to enter the marriage clean of your past; such as it was," he muttered.
"Hey! I also had to use a switch to beat myself and 'overcome my virginity and resistance to my husband!'" Godgifu protested.
Leofric turned Godgifu in his lap to look down at her, "And I'm sure you went easy on yourself and it was no more than you deserved for not going back to Coventry in the first place. It hardly comes close to what I endured."
"What did the Leofric endured?" Cnut stage-whispered to Emma.
"I don't want to talk about it;" Leofric grumbled.
"I suspect Earl Leofric of Twywell was discomfited by the Viking tradition to have witnesses at the consummation of the marriage;" Emma whispered back to Cnut. "The English are very backward about sex, dearest. Perhaps he could not perform as he wished;"
"Really; there is no need to re-hash the past," Leofric growled under his breath.
"They were very understanding about it," Godgifu offered. "They offered several ideas and suggestions; we should try them out when we get home."
"I Don't Want To Talk About It!" Leofric yelled, earning a reproachful glance from Harold.
"Slikke testikler always work for Cnut; the Emma should write that for the Ragnar" Cnut murmured to Emma.
"Finger in the ass, too;" Emma said nodding in agreement.
Sensing Leofric was ready to kick Harold into a full gallop to get away from the discussion, Godgifu changed the topic. "So, since we helped you get your Queen back and everything fine, no problem; I'm sure that your gratitude to us will be reflected in a great reduction in Coventry's tax debt, right Your Highness? Shall we call it even?" Godgifu asked, smiling cheekily over at Cnut.
Cnut grunted noncommittally.
"I don't understand, Sire; is not the Emma a prize beyond compare?" Godgifu pressed, knowing Cnut could not refute her point.
"Pindsvin is ruthless monster. Everyone in Mercia think Pindsvin is little sweet thing; and then she bite," Cnut grumbled, but then softened when he looked over at his wife. "And yet; the Cnut is grateful."
Emma smirked and leaned over to whisper in Cnut's ear. He snorted, "Pindsvin will never do this," he vowed.
"Let her choose;" Emma said.
Cnut chuckled and cleared his throat, "Cnut the Great, King of England, Denmark, Norway and some of Sweden shall forever forgive tax debts of Coventry, if Countess Pindsvin the Godgifu of Mercia will do one thing!" he announced loudly to the group.
"I'll do it!" Godgifu yelled, just as Leofric cautiously asked, "Do; what?"
Leofric shook his head, holding the small bundle of Godgifu's clothes as he led Harold who now carried Queen Emma down the road into Coventry. Ahead, he watched the pale skin of his wife's back shine in the sunlight as she rode Elsa into town toward her home. Villagers that noticed her looked up in shock, then turned away in recognition, murmuring amongst themselves.
"Wow; that woman really hates paying her taxes;" Leofric said, almost in admiration.
As Godgifu approached the steps to her grand house, Sir Hulgar emerged and stood ready, his face turning a deeper and deeper shade of red. By the time Godgifu's infamous ride ended, a crowd had formed at the entry of her house of villagers that looked diligently away from her, but were also dying to know what was happening.
Leofric watched anxiously with Cnut and Emma as Godgifu dismounted and climbed the steps of her home. No one said a word, but the people parted to give her space to approach the front doors.
Godgifu's cheeks were burning in humiliation, but stubbornly she continued up each step. If the people had forgiven her for running around as the scandalous Lady Godiva before, there was no way the people of Coventry would overlook her transgression this time. She was completely naked! You can't pretend someone is the good and virtuous Lady Godgifu when you've seen them riding down the street naked. She sighed. Maybe she and Leofric could go live in Twywell;
Ignoring Sir Hulgar's apoplectic shock, Godgifu turned and faced the crowd, but she had no idea what to say. What was there to say? Justifications and arguments are not easily made without the benefit of clothing. She was just one of them, now.
Godgifu opened her mouth. "I;" she squeaked. Then, she just stood there, unable to say more.
"King Cnut, Queen Emma and Sir Leofric have brought Lady Godiva to justice at last!" a voice she recognized the boy Frederic's yelled. "Take her into custody, Sir Hulgar! Don't let her get away again!"
After a pause, the villagers looked at each other uncertainly, then began yelling as well, joining in with Frederic's demands for justice. Thus bidden, Sir Hulgar quickly bent down and carried Godgifu away into the house, kicking and screaming like the notorious Lady Godiva would have done.
Leofric stifled his laughter with limited success as the people cheered when the doors to the grand house closed with a loud bang. He looked up to see Queen Emma's mouth open, her face a mask of confusion. "What; what just happened?" she asked, completely bewildered.
"It's a little hard to explain;" Leofric chuckled.
"Cnut not get tax money, now. That what happen;" the King grumbled.
"Come inside and we'll explain the adventures of Lady Godiva," Leofric said, helping Queen Emma down from Harold as the villagers dispersed. "And more importantly, the rather stubborn beliefs of the people of Coventry."
"I'm writing what really happened," Emma vowed. "I don't care. Everyone thinks she's this perfect little angel. She's not getting away with this again;" she said, walking inside on Cnut's arm.
Leofric lingered in the doorway until almost everyone was gone, waiting for what he knew was coming. Before long, a small boy approached him, flipping a coin he had no doubt gotten from getting Leofric out of trouble in the past. "Good to see you again, Frederic. Has all been well since I left?"
"Well enough, Sir Leofric, but very confusing. I am just a boy, after all. I thought you had caught Lady Godiva earlier and today she turns up in town again; just when Lady Godgifu was due to return. Very confusing, sir."
"I doubt I could make it more clear for you, if I tried, unfortunately. Perhaps things would be easier to figure if you had a horse to carry you about? Elsa is pregnant, would you mind taking on the foal as your own?" Leofric asked.
"That would be fine with me, sir," Frederic replied, patting Elsa's belly gently. "Of course, the horse tax will cost me an awful lot, sir;"
Leofric sighed and shook his head. "You're lucky I just became an Earl, Frederic," he grumbled, reaching into his pocket for some coins.
"Yes, sir. Well deserved. Congratulations, sir," Frederic said, stroking Elsa's belly as he waited for his ransom.
Based on a post by LingeringAfterthought in 5 parts, for Literotica.