Legends of Godiva: Part 2
A secret visit to Leofric's room lands Godiva in jail.
Based on a post by LingeringAfterthought in 5 parts. Listen to the Podcast at Explicit Novels.
She lay there in the soft clover panting, her bare skin glowing in the moonlight, feeling like she had discovered something life-changing. Whether it was safe or not, Godiva loved being naked, and whatever ecstasy had just taken over her, she loved that, too. So began Godiva's life of sneaking out and briefly living a life away from the cares and responsibilities of a virtuous widow. It had saved her life.
It had also started her down a path that led to her floating naked next to a man that seemed to have as many duties and desires as she did; a man that she would risk anything to lay with in the clover again. Even now, her mind was tortured with the memory of his strong body crushing her, thrusting his hot length inside and pounding away while she screamed in pleasure. Shuddering, she wiped her gloved hands along her dress, trying to get rid of the sweaty feel on her hands. God's blood, she had to get Leofric out of town.
"My Lady, you are unwell," Sir Hulgar said, entering the room holding Wilfred's staff.
"It will pass, Sir Hulgar. I rode overmuch the other day. Is anyone here to be seen today?" Godiva said, pushing up to her feet. She regularly met with anyone who came to visit with her at the noon hour on Mondays and Fridays, from farmers wanting to discuss the price of beets, to children wanting to show her their drawings.
"Too many, as there always are," Sir Hulgar growled, "Rest. I will send them away, those with true need can;"
"Sir Hulgar, please remind me, which of us is the Lady Godgifu, Countess of Mercia, and devoted servant of the good people of Coventry?" Godiva asked, lightly.
She smiled softly behind her veil at the annoyed silence that followed her question. "You are, My Lady," Sir Hulgar grudgingly replied.
"Then, I'll take my husband's staff, if you please," she said, reaching out a gloved hand and taking the walking stick, too tall for her frame, but too dear to do without. She had a duty. The people depended on her. It had to be enough. "Come, then, Sir Hulgar. We mustn’t keep the people waiting."
Leofric groaned inwardly as he watched the slow progress of the specter-like, veiled Lady Godgifu to the seat on a raised dais next to a large embroidery table. The thuds of the enormous staff she carried resounded through the hall with every hobbling step. At her appearance, he heard murmuring throughout the crowd around him and wondered at it. "What's wrong?" he whispered, leaning down to a young woman holding a bundle of cloth.
"Well, look at her! She can barely walk," she replied, gesturing at the old woman, her face etched with concern.
"She doesn't normally walk with a staff, then?"
The young woman shook her head, and craned to see through the crowd. Leofric thought there was something strange about the old widow's walk. She didn't shuffle with small steps and uncertain balance, keeping her feet carefully below her at all times, as was common in the elderly. She also didn't limp unevenly, as if injured on one side, like himself. No, this woman was not old, but injured; and the injury or weakness affected both legs equally. Though it was hard to be certain of it, because of the concealment of her flowing robes and veil, Lady Godgifu's wide-stance gait was quite similar to many new recruits he had seen who found themselves riding a horse for the first time. Interesting.
A guard with a fierce countenance near Lady Godgifu's seat on the dais, seemed on curiously high alert, scanning the friendly crowd as if looking for a hidden assassins or other threats, frequently settling suspiciously on Leofric's large frame. A scribe at a table near the dais took his seat and dipped a feather into his inkpot, and called out, "The Lady Godgifu will hear matters only of the utmost importance first. Please step forward, one at a time, and state your business clearly, and slowly."
To Leofric's surprise, every child in the crowd scrambled forward and surrounded the scribe's desk, all loudly describing their issues to discuss with Lady Godgifu that day. "One at a time! One at a time, I said! How am I to write any of this down? Is this how you listen to directions the monks give you in school?" the scribe complained, until the fearsome guard turned his head toward the babbling group and a deathly hush followed, as they immediately sat down on the floor and raised their hands. "Thank you, Sir Hulgar," the scribe said, then called upon the first child.
The adult crowd around Leofric settled onto benches throughout the room, as the children visited with Lady Godgifu, showing her their various crafts, bruises or scrapes, and telling her stories while she listened and embroidered at the large table. "She embroiders while wearing gloves," he said quietly, but loudly enough for the group of women next to him to hear as they sewed.
"Aye," said one, leaning her head to see Lady Godgifu's slight form pulling a stitch through while a boy showed her how he battled an enormous beast with his stick. "I canna see how she does it, myself. I'd be throwing' those gloves in the fire before I finished the first stitch," she said, to a murmur of agreement from the other women.
"But, surely, the veil is a difficulty for her, as well. Does she always wear one?" Leofric said, sitting down next to the woman who had spoken.
"Aye, 'tis a shame, too. Such a pretty thing; well, she was once," said an elderly woman, causing a murmur to go through the group of women.
The woman nearest Leofric leaned over to him, "Pay her no mind. Maida fancies she saw her Ladyship here in Coventry as a child, on a visit with her father. 'Course Maida also sees faeries, so;" she muttered.
"She was wee a bonny lass with light blonde hair. Rode her father's shoulders and sang a drinking song, of all things;" Maida said, looking up from her embroidery as if seeing the past a few feet away from her.
Blonde; Leofric looked back up at the small figure embroidering on the dais, seeing her head shift quickly away from him as he did, and a suspicion began to form in his mind. He couldn't be sure, yet, but the very thought of it began tugging at the corner of his mouth. Soon, his belly began shaking and he struggled to remain silent.
At length, his resolve failed and a snort of laughter escaped him and the diminutive veiled woman surrounded by children looked up at him suddenly in alarm, and he knew he had stumbled on the truth. He knew it in his bones. He quickly stood and strode from the room, barely making his escape before bursting into gales of loud laughter that rang throughout the entrance hall and echoed back into the room filled with townspeople.
Tears rolled down Leofric's face and he wiped them away, breathing deeply, trying to control his laughter, but long years at war had not given him practice either in laughter or in stopping it and he helplessly fell into its spasms again and again. Lady Godgifu; the veiled and pious widow, the living saint of the town, sneaking around as a woman whose name he dare not speak in polite company.
When he regained control of himself, Leofric returned to the gathering and leaned against the back wall, his shining eyes fixed on the Lady Godgifu, remembering the sight of her floating naked in the water, running her wet fingers over his body, her sitting astride him in the sunlight and impaling herself on his cock. He only broke from his reverie when the children were dismissed and the scribe spoke briefly with Lady Godgifu.
"Her Ladyship will now hear matters that concern His Highness King Cnut," the scribe announced, once he had seated himself again. At this announcement, Leofric smiled down at his boots, feeling every eye in the hall turn to him, but he said nothing and did nothing. After an uncomfortable silence, the scribe cleared his throat, "Um; any other matters?" It seemed that no adult in the room had any business of import, and all eyes turned again to Leofric's tall silent frame against the wall, only now he was looking steadily at the Lady Godgifu with a smirk on his face.
Leofric slowly stepped forward and stood before the dais, the entire room silent and transfixed. Godgifu had stopped embroidering mid-stitch, her veil flickering outward with each rapid breath. Sensing the tension, indeed, every eye in the room volleyed quickly between the two. "My Lady, I am Sir Leofric, Ealdorman of Twywell," Leofric said, bowing low. Rising, he made sure he held her veiled eyes with his before speaking, "My Lady, would you be so kind as to grant me an audience with you, in private?" he asked.
"Yes," the small woman quietly replied, and standing quickly, at the same time as Sir Hulgar barked "No," putting his hand on his sword, and placing his body between the two.
"Sir Hulgar;" Lady Godgifu began, after clearing her throat quietly.
"Your Ladyship, this man is unknown to us, but merely that he was mentioned in a letter from the King. I'll not have him going about town making claims of privileges promised while in private intercourse with you," Sir Hulgar growled, staring down Leofric.
At Sir Hugar's words, Lady Godgifu made a choking sound and started coughing desperately. As Sir Hulgar turned to see that she was all right, Leofric took a knee, tucking his chin down to his chest, and biting the insides of his cheeks to keep from laughing again.
When she was breathing easily again, Lady Godgifu took up the large staff and looked up at her glowering guardian. Leofric waited until saw the small figure square her shoulders before he spoke, "My Lady, I beg you would not speak too harshly to your servant on my account, nor beat him about the shins and ankles with yon staff, for you see, he is absolutely right. I would most delightedly claim any and all honors and privileges due me, should our "private intercourse" prove; fertile."
At these words, Lady Godifru inexplicably fumbled with her hands and the sound of the staff clattering to the floor was deafening as it echoed throughout the hall, and Leofric tucked his chin into his chest, again trying to stifle his laughter. Sir Hulgar retrieved the staff and appeared as if he would like nothing more than to knock Leofric's head off his shoulders with it, but Lady Godgifu silently pointed toward the corner where Sir Hulgar had originally stood with a vehemence that surprised him. The guard went to his corner and stood gripping the staff, whilst staring daggers at Leofric.
"But, My Lady, I assure you, such was not the purpose of my request for privacy," Leofric continued, after he had control of his voice. "For, though I have been charged with persuading Your Ladyship into a more agreeable discourse with His Highness the King, I am but a man of simple words, unaccustomed to addressing so fine an assembly," he said, gesturing behind him to the townsfolk and bowing graciously to them.
Turning back, he continued, "I do not say these words to curry favor, for I know I deserve none from such fine folk. For, indeed, I have traveled far in service as a knight, but I have not seen a place where such pride is taken in its care. The streets are clean, the people are healthy and fed, and the children are;" Leofric paused, his throat tightening at the memory of the children he had seen at war, "They are children; which is no more and no less than what they should be; precious, clever, and safe."
"I have also come to beg your Ladyship's pardon. When last we met, you asked me to spend my life with you; to choose to be happy here, but like a tired horse with blinders on, I spoke only of my plodding duty." The hall filled with scandalized whispers at the disclosure of a secret meeting between the two, and Leofric bowed his head again to hide his smirk when Lady Godgifu's gloved hands clenched each other nervously. This was far more fun than he had ever had at court.
At length, he raised his head and continued, "If only I had seen the haven to which you were inviting me, I fancy that I would not have been such a fool. I had thought to come here to advise you, to chastise you, even to threaten you into obedience to the King, if necessary. I see all that as vanity, now. You, Lady, have proven a most faithful steward of the blessings entrusted to you."
"And so, I come before you today, chastised and humble, as I should be. I will not lie. Currently, I find myself deep in tax debt, without a pound to my name, and only by the grace of your townsfolk, am I even clothed. Even so, I come to ask more of your kindness and forbearance. I ask your Ladyship's leave to set up residence in this fine town, as I serve your people and settle accounts with them. They deserve no less. And at the end of that time, if I have found favor in your eyes, I would ask another chance to answer your question; that I might be allowed to amend my first foolish answer and enjoy the rest of the days allowed to me by your Ladyship's side, and have both the duties and the honor of being your husband." Now, squeals and sighs of delight erupted from where the ladies sewed, and outraged grumbling from the men, some taking positions at the doorways, and others flanking Leofric as if to take him into custody upon command.
Lady Godgifu dropped down heavily in her chair, as if her legs had suddenly turned soft. The billowing air from her robes sent a needle rolling off the table and down the steps to where Leofric knelt. The entire assembly seemed to hold its breath, watching as he licked his finger and deftly flicked up the needle and climbed the steps to where Lady Godgifu sat, her veil puffing out rapidly with each breath. With a glance to the corner making sure Sir Hulgar remained in place, Leofric turned up a corner of the stitchwork to see the very same secret backstitched flower that little Anne had proudly shown him at the cuff of his burlap pants. Smiling, Leofric skewered it with the needle, and took up her shaking gloved hand. "If it please you, I shall await your answer at the Minxy Mare. Until then, I remain your servant," he said loudly, bowing and kissing her hand. ";my Lady Godiva," he murmured quietly, in a voice only she could hear.
Leofric eased himself into the halved ale-barrel that had been sent to his room and filled with warm water, a ridiculous luxury, but an offer he accepted gladly from Mr. Talbot. One of many unusually kind gestures he had received, of late. Word had spread rapidly, changing the mocking smiles of his arrival to looks pregnant with excitement and even joy. Indeed, he found it difficult trying to address his debts with anyone because apparently everyone wanted to forgive anything owed by the potential future husband of the revered Lady Godgifu.
Much of the day was spent arguing people into the ways they would let him pay off the ridiculous debts they had invented against him, because his coin was absolutely refused. His coin, incidentally, was delivered to his room at the Minxy Mare by Sir Hulgar, himself, who told him which way to ride to catch up with the caravan of his belongings that they sent back to London. Ironically, now that he was flush with gold again, he had to barter services like re-thatching or re-shingling roofs rather than use it. Still, it had to be done. Leofric knew he needed more time, because he was by no means fooled into thinking that Lady Godiva would be easily tamed into matrimony; and he was also convinced that there was something not quite right about Coventry, and he meant to suss it out.
He leaned back and had almost closed his eyes when he noticed the complimentary charcuterie plate and glass of mead on the small table nearby and snorted in disbelief. He was already stuffed with the local delicacies that had been pushed at him downstairs by locals whose eyes assiduously avoided the place where his clothing was hanging on the wall.
Suddenly, Leofric blinked in surprise, because a small leg had hooked itself through his window. The leg was followed by an arm and a delicate hand that he was certain he recognized. Chuckling, he put his arms behind his head and watched Godiva pulling herself in through his window, grunting and puffing like a winded pig.
"Can I help you?" he asked, causing her to whirl around and squeak in surprise.
"Why is it the only times you want to help me are when you're naked?" she asked, flustered and annoyed.
"Expediency, my Lady,"
She snorted and after spying the food, began eating a piece of cheese from his plate, as he admired her flushed cheeks. "Well, I could have used your help in the hall today, but you didn't seem interested in anything but throwing my life into chaos," she huffed.
"Said the woman holding a town together with her virtue and living a double life as a trollop," he observed dryly.
"Oh, that's rich coming from you. I am not a trollop! Just because I swim naked and steal idiot's pants doesn't mean I do; that," she said, flustered. "You're the one who doffed your clothes and flung yourself into my pond when you didn't even know who I was! What's the male word for 'trollop' because that's you!" she hissed.
"Alas, there isn't one. It's quite unfair, I admit. So, if you don't typically wrap your wet naked body around your victims and ravish them in the clover, why was I so honored?" Leofric asked, letting his eyes wander enjoyably down the low-cut blue dress she wore.
"I; um;" she stammered, looking uncomfortable, but then going on the offensive. "Why are you still here? I can't work like this! You have no idea how many women told me today what a fine man you seemed, especially when viewed from behind. Hulgar got you your money, so just leave!"
"It's Sir Hulgar, my dear," Leofric said, grinning widely "the man deserves some respect, especially if he has the challenging duty of protecting you. And, as much as it pains me to refuse any request of yours, I cannot leave. I have a duty to the King, and I intend to see it through."
Godiva growled, and took several more pieces of cheese and sausage off the plate. "What if I paid the taxes?" she said through a mouthful of food.
"Can you?" he asked.
Godiva nodded, taking a sip from his mead and making a face. "Guh, that's awful. They gave you the good cheese, but bitter mead," she said, smacking her lips. "We're even lending to other towns for their improvements," she said through a mouthful of cheese.
"At this point, I suspect your provocations will require a more meaningful resolution than simple compliance. Your defiance has become stuff of legend, and the King's tolerance is- my Lady, you're eating like a wolf, are you well?"
"I'm starving. I skipped dinner and told them I was going to bed early because I was; you know; fluttery and overwhelmed," she explained, waving her hand dismissively. "Didn't they give you any bread?" she asked, taking another sip of mead and grimacing again.
"Well, as I was saying, the new King cannot afford to have his sovereignty challenged in this way. First one town stops paying taxes, then two, then he is fighting wars within his own country rather than defending us from those abroad. You only hold these lands by the grace of the King, who owns all lands by right. Frankly, you are lucky to be alive, much less being badgered to marry.
"Your King ripped us apart in his conquest! We had nothing left when he was done with us! If we hadn't withheld our dues in those early days, we would have all died! It is only by our own sweat that we survived, and certainly no thanks to him!" she cried angrily.
"And that is probably why you were allowed to forego your duties for a time, and why you are still alive, now, Lady. Do you not realize the danger to which you put your people when you provoke the King? These childish pranks on the tax collectors are one thing, but when you couple that with training soldiers secretly in the monastery, it looks like a prelude to sedition—"
"That's; that's not what it seems," she said, a look of flustered shock on her face.
"I know what I heard, Godiva," Leofric said, warningly.
Godiva came closer and knelt next to him in the bath. "When the war ended, and our men came home broken and scarred deeply, our struggles were not only to eat and fight disease. Our men couldn't sleep, couldn't be with their families, couldn't live in peace knowing that at any moment their sons could be called away on the whim of a King. They were just farm boys when they were sent out; they knew nothing about war or fighting. When the men returned, they couldn't bear knowing their own sons could be thrust into war with no readiness or training. To give the men some peace, I allowed them to train our sons in fighting, as well as the other lessons, just to know that what happened to the men would not be the curse their sons endured, as well. They're just boys, Leofric;"
Leofric leaned back, closing his eyes. His mind replayed haunting flashes of the broken young men he had ridden past going from battle to battle, too many of them cruelly looking even younger in the sleep of death. "I have no wish to argue with you, My Lady. Your goals are laudable, but this is a dangerous game you are playing; and I have no wish to see you suffer for it. I beg you to reconsider your current course," Leofric said.
Godiva nodded slowly, looking troubled. Then, her face brightened, "Oh, um; I've brought you a salve, too," she said, reaching between her tits and pulling out a small covered pot. "It's for your sunburn; it should help it to heal faster. I'm sorry about; well, you know."
The corner of Leofric's mouth curled as, unbidden, she began to rub the salve around his chest, shoulders and arms, obviously pleased to find an excuse to touch him again. "Sorry about what, exactly? Stealing my clothes? Forcing me to walk naked to a monastery? Making me wear burlap pants whilst sunburnt? Or perhaps, about falsely inviting me to spend my life with you; what would you have done had I said "yes" in that moment? Such an act in a man would be seen as most dishonorable," Leofric said, leaning on his large arm over the side of the tub to look at her more closely.
Godiva sat back on her heels and looked down at her hands, trying not to get drawn into his eyes, "You weren't going to say 'yes,'" she murmured. "I knew your purpose in coming to Coventry, and I knew you would choose honor and duty over someone you only rolled with in the clover; but, it wasn't dishonest. I asked you for what I wanted; it's just that for a moment, I'd forgotten that what I want doesn't figure into my life much, anymore."
Leofric reached a dripping hand out of the tub and brushed a stray lock of hair out of her face. Almost against her will, Godiva leaned her face into his wet hand as it cupped her cheek. "A likely story," he rumbled. "So, what would you have done, had I accepted your invitation; as I nearly did?"
Godiva opened her eyes and found herself getting lost in his. "I would have whistled for Elva and rode off anyway; but I probably would have left you your tunic, at least. Can you forgive me?" she asked.
"That depends; I think I'll need to see how much you've suffered for your sins, first," Leofric said, looking down at where her legs were carefully separated under her.
Godiva bit her lips shyly and smiled. Standing, she reached down and slowly gathered the folds of her dress in her hands and slowly lifted the hem. When she paused nervously, Leofric chuckled. "I see little penance in your knees and riding boots, My Lady. You know what I want to see," he cajoled.
Blushing, Godiva raised her hem even higher, looking away in embarrassment as her white thighs came into his view and he growled with approval. "You damn fool; look what you've done," he said, upon seeing the angry red skin between her legs and stretching into the golden fluff of hair covering her nethers. Taking the pot of salve from the table next to the tub, he dipped his fingers into it and began smoothing it onto the angry rash, watching her face as he did. "I'd be a beast to fuck you again before a week's gone by," he said, slipping his slippery fingers between her plump lower lips, smirking as she closed her eyes at the sensation.
"You; you won't be fucking me again at all, Sir Leofric; oh; what happened was just; nuh; that was just; it won't happen again. You're going back to London and I'll figure things out with the King. That's; that's all there is to it," she gasped, leaning toward him as he toggled her bud gently.
"Hmmm; my mistake, My Lady. That was an arrogant presumption on my part," he said, rising to his knees in the tub and using his other hand to free her tits from the neckline of her dress while she wobbled next to him, completely distracted by the feel of his fingers pushing inside her as his thumb continued stimulating her clit.
"Oh; God," she moaned, as he began suckling her tits, her fingers threading themselves through his hair and holding him even closer. He was thrusting his fingers in and out of her, now, her soft whimpering mewls filling the room along with the wet sounds of him filling her quim. "Please Leofric; please; I can't stand it; I need;" she pleaded.
"As you wish," he said, rising out of the water and lifting her with one arm. Stepping out of the tub and dripping water everywhere, he tossed her face-down over the edge of the bed and went to his knees behind her. He lifted the skirt of her dress up over her back and smiled at the sight of her white ass, presented to him like a gift as she bent over the bed. Spreading her cheeks, he licked up and down her slit, rubbing her clit hard with his tongue with every pass. Godiva squealed and bit down on a fold of the blanket, muffling her sounds. Diving in, Leofric suckled and growled, filling her with his fingers again and again until Godiva's entire body stiffened, screaming and shaking in her release until she melted into a limp mass.
"Consider yourself forgiven, My Lady," he said with a smile. Rising up, he stroked her back gently, waiting for her to return to her senses, but she didn't move. "My Lady?" he asked, shaking her shoulder gently. Leaning over her, he looked at her face to find her eyes glassy and unaware, her breaths shallow and slow. "Diva;" he said, turning her over and patting her face, "Godiva; Godgifu; wake up;" he said, becoming increasingly concerned.
The smell of her breath came to his nostrils and he frowned. He knew that smell. Rushing to the glass of mead, he dipped his finger into it and tasted it, then cursed and spat it out. Someone had dosed the mead with dwale, a strong elixir used by healers when they needed to cut a man open. He should have suspected something was amiss when she complained of the bitterness. She hadn't taken much of the dose that must have been meant for him, but she was far smaller than him, as well.
Leofric dressed quickly, watching the door and listening for anyone approaching. He had to move fast, because it was almost certain that someone would be coming to visit his room as soon as they believed him to be unconscious. The problem was, if anyone found Godiva in his room after his proposal to Lady Godgifu today, he would be thought an unworthy cad. Then again, if anyone missed the Lady Godgifu at her home and she was found in his room, there would be an even bigger uproar.
Hoisting her over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes, Leofric stripped the blanket off the bed and threw it over his back to cover her. "Between guarding your virtues and indulging your proclivities, Lady, I'll be lucky if I ever get a full night's sleep," he grumbled, quietly opening his door and scanning the hallway before leaving out the back toward the stables.
Harold was pleased to see Leofric, until the horse determined that he hadn't brought any apples with him. Worse, Harold started nosing curiously at the snoring bundle under the blanket on his shoulder. "Trust me, boy, she only looks like she's no trouble;" he muttered, putting a blanket and saddle on the horse.
Leofric reckoned Godiva would be out cold for at least a few hours, but until then, he had to keep her warm and safe. He wanted to get back to his room at the Minxy Mare to see what had been planned for his unconscious body, and so he could not care for her himself. If he took her back to her grand house, a servant would certainly answer at this time of night, but since she was dressed as Godiva, it was possible they would not be admitted. Leofric did not know of anyone else in town that could help them and still maintain the necessary secrecy. So, after some thought, he regrettably came to the only conclusion he could.
From the look on his face, Leofric knew the Coventry jailer was unaccustomed to being awakened in the middle of the night. "I caught this woman sneaking into my room. I believe she is wanted for several petty thefts from the King's tax collectors, as well. I will return to take custody of her shortly, but until then, please monitor her closely and bring a healer if she seems at all unwell," he said, walking in and gently laying Godiva down in the first empty cell.
"Cor! Issat; it never was; the Lady-" the jailer said, craning his neck to see as Leofric spread the blanket over her. Frowning, Leofric pulled the blanket over Godiva's face, as well.
"As I said, I shall be back shortly. I am Sir Leofric, Ealdorman of Twywell, Emissary of King Cnut, and you will see to her well-being as carefully as you would your own life," Leofric said, turning to the jailer with a look that made the man shrink smaller. "Do you understand my meaning?" Wide-eyed, the jailer nodded, backing away from the cell where Godiva slept.
Leofric mounted Harold and rode quietly into the night, keeping to the shadows of side streets until he found a spot from which he could watch the window of his room at the Minxy Mare. The night was cold, and he missed the soft warmth of Godiva's body on his shoulders, to say nothing of the blanket.
As the minutes passed, the night brought on a soft rain, but still he waited, watching the window of his room. Harold grumbled quietly, making clear his dislike of the task of standing and doing nothing in the rain when there were clean and dry stables so close.
"Not much longer, Harold;" he murmured, patting the horse's neck. Before long, Leofric heard the creak of a cart moving up the street. From his hidden location, he could see it was pulled by four men who entered the inn almost silently. Soon, dim figures appeared in the window of his room, appearing to search it frantically. A shout came out of the inn, and Leofric heard Mr. Talbot's voice yelling in outrage. One of the men climbed out of the window and walked along a ledge to a tree nearby, which Godiva must have climbed to get to his room. Soon after, he saw Talbot push the three other men out of the inn and into the street, yelling threats of what would happen if he ever saw them again. The men quickly pulled the cart away, hiding their faces as they went.
"Anything about that look strange to you, Harold?" Leofric asked. Talbot obviously wasn't in on whatever plan had been made for him, but he certainly didn't treat the men as criminals, either. "He knew them; they're locals," Leofric concluded. Harold huffed noisily in the rain and turned to give him a long-suffering martyred look. "What? Can't I have a little fun?" he asked the horse. Harold turned forward and sighed. "Fine;" he muttered, "let's go collect our package from the jailer."
When Leofric reached the goal, the dark of night was just beginning to lighten. He entered to find Godiva sitting up in her blanket, wobbling uneasily. "She come to just a bit ago, Sir. Seems; confused, if you ask me."
"Thank you for your care of her," Leofric said, dropping a few coins into the man's hand, and striding into Godiva's cell. "How are you feeling, little one?" he asked, squatting next to her.
"You took me to jail;" she said, bewildered.
"Yes, well, tax evasion and burglary are serious offenses," Leofric said, disconcerted at the intensity of the relief he felt, seeing her awake again. "Do you feel that you've been rehabilitated, my dear?" Godiva nodded, wide-eyed, putting her arms around his neck as he lifted her in his arms.
Harold bore both of them back to the stables, and Leofric carefully deposited Godiva in a pile of clean hay while he unsaddled, rubbed down and dried the horse. Finding his pack on the wall, Leofric retrieved an apple and gave it to the horse, thanking him for a job well done. Then, he noticed that Godiva was no longer looking around the stall from her pile of hay, but precariously dangling on her toes from a small stepstool as she tried to reach something hidden in a crevice of the roof.
Growling, he threw her over his shoulder again, reaching up to feel for what she was trying to retrieve. As he suspected, his fingers brushed against a bundle of cloth, that turned out to be the veiled robes and gloves of the Lady Godgifu. "My Lady, I think we've had enough adventures of your making for tonight, without you breaking your head open upon the floor," he said, handing her the bundle. "My sympathies for Sir Hulgar are increasing daily."
"I need to undress. Turn around," Godiva said, twirling her finger.
"Respectfully, no," Leofric said, reaching down and pulling her dress up over her head. She gasped and held her robes up, hiding her body.
"Turn around!" she hissed, looking around the abandoned stables, scandalized.
"Close your eyes, lean your head back, and remain standing for the count of ten, and then I will turn around." Godiva closed her eyes and had only begun to tilt her head back when she nearly toppled over. "That's what I thought," Leofric said, catching her. "You're in no condition even to dress yourself, my Lady. Now, let's get these damned ridiculous things on you."
"They're not; not ridiculous," Godiva said softly, leaning against his chest as Leofric fumbled with her robes, trying to find where her head was supposed to go. "They; they made him happy," she mumbled.
"You wore all this for your husband?" Leofric asked, incredulous.
"Wilfred. He wanted me safe;"
Leofric nodded, seeing the troubled play of emotions on her face. He had heard of Lord Wilfred, but not known him well. By all accounts, Lord Wilfred was a man who would take any risk upon himself in battle, but could not forbear the suffering of others. It was an admirable quality, but it had left him vulnerable; and his compassion had been used against him many times.
"And you wear them still to grieve him?" he asked gently.
Godiva shook her head slowly, but vehemently. "It's for; them," she said waving her hand widely. "They needed; her; Godgifu;" she said, falling against him as she lost her balance. "I was just a scared girl with a dead Lord's lands; and then disease came and they were dying; so many; so much fear. But Godgifu; she was something more to them. Like a gift from God. They could believe in her; they would listen to her; but only as long as she was perfect," she said, still shaking her head.
Leofric frowned in confusion at the row of tiny buttons near the wrist of her long gloves and began undoing them. "This is probably not the time to tell you this, my Lady, but; you are not perfect," he said, finally fitting her hand into the opening of a glove, then cursing because it was upside down. "You are ridiculously short. A man has to practically double over in order to kiss you properly, leaving him vulnerable to attack. Your eyes are the green of tree moss, which everyone knows is a sure sign of an elf-changeling. You eat with your hands and talk with your mouth full, which is, frankly, revolting. Truly, I only touched you for pity after you rudely interrupted my bath." he said, before she pulled his head down to hers and kissed him. The passion and desire in her lips shook him, and he fell to his knees as the kiss deepened, taking her into his arms in a crushing embrace.
"Make love to me," she said, when they separated.
It took more strength than he thought he had to refuse her, but he knew that he had to. She wasn't in her right mind, yet. "Marry me first, trollop," he growled. "Why should you buy the knight, when you can get the lance for free?"
Godiva giggled at his frustration, "Leofric, you need me, I can feel it;" she said reaching her hand down to his hard, straining member. Feeling her reach into his pants, he shuddered when her soft hand caressed his length.
Leofric groaned, going soft at her touch, dismayed at how easily she drove his mind from his purpose. "My Lady, you must stop; it isn't right. You're ill with a tainted drink; it wouldn't be gentlemanly to— nuh," he ground out through his teeth.
Leofric groaned, still feeling the pain of his denied engorgement earlier, and pulled slightly away from her. "Let's get these gloves on you;" he said, tugging the glove up over her elbow, and then reluctantly taking her other hand off his painfully hard cock and standing up to tuck Godiva's clothes back up into the crevice near the roof. "So, now that you're dressed, I can get you home and then— oh; oh fuck!" he gasped, feeling her lips take him deep inside her warm, wet mouth. He was so ready for her that he was beyond any control and his entire body jerked with the force of his orgasm, sending ropes of cum down her throat.
When he had finished spending himself in her mouth, and she had cleaned him, Godiva tucked his relieved member back into his pants and straightened his tunic, giggling when she finally noticed his glowering consternation. "Can we go home now? I'm hungry;" she said, taking his hand with beguiling innocence.
Leofric struggled with himself for a moment, before picking up her veiled body in his arm and hitching her up against his side. "God, you're annoying, woman," he said, shaking his head, "I feel like I've just been violated by a troll," he grumped.
Godiva smiled and leaned her head against his shoulder as he set off from the stables toward her house, "Well, at least this time, you've got pants;" she observed cheerfully.
"Oh, do shut up," he grumbled, a corner of his mouth twitching.
Leofric and Godiva reunite after a fall from her horse.
Godiva groaned, the foul taste in her mouth almost as bad as the pounding in her head. She put her arm over her eyes to shield out the morning light cutting in through the bed curtains. The door of the chamber opened and she heard the soft footsteps of Astrid, bringing breakfast and from the smell, some mint tea. "Good mornin', milady; h-hope ye slept well," she said, nervously. Why was Astrid nervous? Godiva wondered. The curtains whisked open and when she could bear to open her eyes to the bright morning light, she saw the cause.
Standing at the foot of her bed, with his arms crossed and his jaw set was Sir Hulgar, who had obviously been standing there for some time. Godiva reached under her sleep veil and rubbed her eyes, then reached for the mint tea, sipping and swishing it around in her mouth before swallowing. "Will you be needing' the staff again, today, milady? I can bring it when I come back to help you dress," Astrid said, glancing frequently to where Sir Hulgar stood glaring at Godiva.
"No, thank you Astrid," she said, sipping more tea. "I'm feeling quite better. Hurry back. We'll be going to the market today, and Sir Hulgar and I won't be talking for long," she said, matching the fierce knight's gaze.
"Yes, milady," Astrid said, curtsying as she left the room.
"What shall we discuss this morning, Sir Hulgar?" she asked, refilling her cup. "Tea?" she offered.
Sir Hulgar's expression darkened. "No, my Lady. I'd be more interested in knowing what you had to drink last night that had Sir Leofric bringing you home at crack of dawn;" he said.
Godiva's eyes sparked, suspecting Sir Hulgar knew exactly what she had drunk; and where she was when she drank it. It was not the first time her knight protector had secretly arranged for a hasty unconscious departure for a potential suitor of hers, which was one of the reasons she had gone to Leofric's room last night. She would get rid of Leofric in her own way and in her own time.
"Not that it is any concern of yours, Sir Hulgar, but I held counsel with Sir Leofric at the Minxy Mare last night. I believe I drank some honeyed mead, though very little. Perhaps the drink was stronger than I anticipated," she said, as if she and Leofric had spent a perfectly proper evening together in the Minxy Mare's common room. "Are there any other ways you wish to question your mistress about her activities?" she asked, pointing out his impropriety.
"Forgive your humble servant, your Ladyship, but I am charged with your protection," Sir Hulgar said, grinding out a tone that in no way even approached humility. "Sir Leofric said he suspected the drink was tainted; that you might have been gravely ill or even dead if you had taken more of it," Hulgar said, still pressing the issue.
"Well then; I suppose we must be grateful that Sir Leofric is an honorable man, and saw me safely cared for whilst I was ill," Godiva responded. She would have laughed if the situation were different. She had forbidden Hulgar from interfering with her suitors, because after a mild dose of dwale, the last one had wandered and fallen into the broken well and was later rescued with a broken arm. Now, Hulgar could not accuse her of being improperly in Leofric's room without also admitting he had violated her orders by drugging Leofric's mead.
"It is also said that Sir Leofric briefly brought the Lady Godiva to jail last night," Sir Hulgar said, nearly shaking with the unsaid words inside him.
Godiva had long suspected Hulgar knew about her double life, but had not prevented it, as long as she carefully maintained her safety and the necessary secrecy for her life as the Lady Godgifu. Indeed, waking up in the jail cell had shaken her to her core. She knew that discovery of her activities could very well lead to a gruesome death at the hands of the townsfolk, much less at the King's hands. The people would do it not only out of outrage, but also out of fear of God's retribution. Hulgar was right to be furious with her about this. "Well; I guess we have even more reason to be grateful to Sir Leofric, then," she said quietly.
"One hopes the Lady Godiva has learned her lesson. Surely, after this, we will see no more of her skullduggery," Hulgar said, moving his eyes back to her at length.
Godiva looked down at her breakfast tray, feeling tears well in her eyes. The thought of never tasting the freedom of her other life again, of only living within the narrow constraints of Lady Godgifu's shroud; it didn't feel like a life at all. "One hopes;" she answered, wiping the tears off her cheeks.
Suddenly, Astrid rushed into the room, nearly beside herself with excitement, "Milady! Sir Leofric; the handsome one; he left, but he was here asking' after your health!" she bubbled, bouncing in place. "And ye know what he's brought? Flowers!" she squealed.
Godiva sighed. "Very well, please ready a vase with water; unless you wished to press them, Sir Hulgar?" she asked, watching his eyes narrow even more at her.
"Milady;?" Astrid asked, confused, watching Sir Hulgar and her mistress glare at each other.
"Never mind Astrid, it seems Sir Hulgar doesn't want Sir Leofric's flowers. I will take them here, instead," Godiva said.
"Y-yes, milady," Astrid said, and after a final glare and short bow, Sir Hulgar followed.
Godiva slipped out of bed and went to the window that looked out over Coventry. It was becoming obvious that the people wanted her to marry again, the women did, at least. People always felt more secure with a man leading them, but was Leofric the right alliance for her? The wrong alliance would lead to more strife, more positioning, and possibly violent intervention from a new king that needed money and an army, since King Cnut had sent his own conquering forces home to Denmark, rather than continue to pay them. Many Lords had come to Coventry since her husband died, seeking to counsel her, romance her, and even rape her into a marriage. She was altogether too rich, too powerful and too female to be left to herself. She was a walking political opportunity for any ambitious man.
It was Sir Hulgar who had, in the early days, guided her to her present course of remaining a pious widow, loyal to her late husband, and devoted to and beloved by her people. It was not all a lie. She did love her people. She loved watching their children grow, making sure no one went uncared for, celebrating life with them, and even following their gossip and petty grudges. Still, it made her lonely. She was an inspiration to them, but not one of them. She couldn't be; because she couldn't risk them learning she was as human as they were. A woman couldn't be a human being and still lead them.
If she went by the criteria of the women of Coventry, she should marry Leofric for his handsome face and finely shaped ass. That was all well and good, but doing so would mean forming an alliance with King Cnut, who had done more harm than good in all of Mercia. Why had Cnut sent Leofric to her, anyway? Did the King think she was so stupid as to willingly fall into a marriage with a man who could set her heart racing with just a look?
After the murder of his brother Northman, Leofric could even have been sent to Coventry in hopes that he would be killed, as many tax collectors in other towns had been. An escalation from stealing pants to murder of the tax collectors would give King Cnut a perfect excuse to come in force and destroy the town again, leaving not one stone upon another, setting an example to other defiant places in the realm.
She couldn't marry with any of the other lords of counties that withheld their taxes, either, or it would be seen as a growing rebellious force to be destroyed. Leofric was right; her current situation had become dangerous, not only to herself, but to her people.
If she paid the taxes, it might buy her some time. Then again, it might just whet the King's appetite for their riches, and the power and stability that came with it. Who is to say he wouldn't simply take their offering and then raise their taxes, assuming that if Coventry was willing to pay a little, they could be made to pay a lot. She couldn't jeopardize her people like that.
She needed to know more about who she was dealing with. Was King Cnut a man of honor, or just another foreign marauder trying to drain her country of its resources for as long as he could hold on to the throne? There was only person in town who could give her more information; and from what she could see, the damn fool was currently climbing onto the roof of The Minxy Mare.
"What are you doing up there?"
Leofric suppressed a smile and pretended not to hear the dismayed voice, continuing to inspect the thatching that had gone bad, allowing water to leak down into the rooms Talbot showed him. He would have to take out the rotted portions and install new thatching, at the very least. Hopefully the supporting wooden beams below the thatching remained sound and had not developed rot.
"Sir Leofric! Get down from there! Do you want to break your neck?"
Leofric, still pretending to be oblivious to the voice, thought about the question. Does anyone ever really want to break their neck? Did she expect that the roof would somehow fix itself? Perhaps, she would prefer one of her besotted townsfolk take the job of climbing the tall ladder precariously leaning against the steep roof. From the looks of it, no one in town had been brave enough to do the job in a while.
"Sir Leofric! Her Ladyship addresses you!" a man's voice now yelled up to him.
Leofric looked down and feigned surprise at seeing Brother Phillip and his bread cart next to his lovely little veiled mistress who looked like she was pacing around in distress and wringing her hands. "Good morrow, Brother Phillip! What say you?" Leofric called down unnecessarily loudly, drawing the attention of the townsfolk nearby in the market.
"I; I said, 'Her Ladyship addresses you!'" Brother Phillip repeated.
"Aha! No, good brother! These came from Rose Morgan! Her Ladyship sent my clothing back to London! I was glad to be rid of them, though, too foppish by far! I really should write to the King before he receives them without me, though, and assumes the worst! It would be a tremendous scandal at court if word spread that Her Ladyship was keeping me here naked as her hostage!" Leofric yelled, doing his best to keep his voice steady. It became even more difficult as he saw numerous people in the marketplace below hunch over in muffled laughter.
"No, Sir Leofric! I Said, 'Her Ladyship Addresses You!'" Brother Phillip said, cupping his hands to his mouth.
"Oh! Forgive me, Brother Phillip! I am so close to heaven up here, that when I heard her voice, I must have thought the angels were singing to me!" he replied. "Pray, what gentle words does Her Ladyship grace me with, this fine morn?" he called down, prying up a bundle of rotted thatch to examine the wood beneath.
Brother Phillip leaned his head down to hear Lady Godgifu. Leofric chuckled inwardly when the priest flinched and then paused, as if to rephrase her harshly-worded message, "Her Ladyship is distressed and begs, um; that you would climb down from that high perch, lest tears of fright she be shedding!" the priest called up, avoiding looking down at Lady Godgifu as he did.
As he listened, Leofric canted his head, frowned, and then brightened, "Well yes, of course! What an honor! I would be delighted to dance every dance with Her Ladyship at the Miller girl's wedding, but I am already promised to Maida and Little Anne, as well, so tell Her Ladyship she mustn’t be too greedy!" Leofric called down, looking under his arm, even more delighted to see Lady Godgifu's tiny gloved hands clench in to fists.
Brother Phillip leaned down and began repeating the message to Lady Godgifu, but stopped short upon realizing she'd heard it quite well for herself. Leofric watched Lady Godgifu impart yet another message to Brother Phillip, pointing her gloved finger emphatically at the ground several times and stomping her foot, as she did. Brother Phillip swallowed nervously and considered his words again. "Her Ladyship insists that you come down from there immediately! She says she will not have the King coming down upon our heads in wrath when you fall and break your neck!" Brother Phillip yelled.
By now, the faces of most of the people in the marketplace were craning their necks to see and hear all they could of the ridiculous conversation, eager for the next parry. Leofric turned and smiled down warmly on them, "That is most kind! Tell Her Ladyship that I would love to picnic with her, today! Right now, I am most engaged with Mr. Talbot's roof, but perhaps this afternoon? I am so heartened that Her Ladyship is warming to me!" he called down, turning back to examining the roof.
Suddenly, a crabapple went whizzing by his head and Leofric looked down to see Brother Phillip standing stunned and open-mouthed. Then, he subtly pointed at Lady Godgifu who was bent over gathering more tart projectiles to pelt at him. At length, after noticing, to her horror, that she had the attention of most of the marketplace, she dropped the crabapples gathered in her skirt, brushed her hands off, and hurried away.
"Oh, yes a cheeky one, no doubt; I never seen Her Ladyship so riled up!"
"Did you see 'er stomp 'er foot like that'? I swear, she was like to kick that ladder out from under 'im by the end if the friar;"
"Aye, that one'll be lucky he don't end up in a cart of shite bumping' back to London;"
"Nay, 'er Ladyship's not so hard as that; she's a gentlewoman, she is. Not lessen 'e press 'er too hard and Sir 'ulgar step in, she jus sit there kind 'n quiet behind 'er veil 'til 'e take the hint an go 'way. There's naught like a saint to make a man's blood cool; and a fine man like that' won't go without company for long, 'e won't;"
Godiva ears still rang with all the town's gossip, and after this morning at the marketplace, it seemed there was nowhere she could go to escape the talk.
After hurrying from her embarrassment at the market, Godiva had continued her usual rounds and went to Martha's house to bring her some bread and see how the boil on her foot was healing. No sooner had she brought Martha a cup of tea, than her niece Miriam came bursting into the small house recounting the tale. After a yelp from Miriam, and a sudden uncomfortable silence, Godiva wished Martha well and continued on her way.
As the day wore on, the rampant gossip turned into subtle and not-so-subtle advice from the people she visited.
"Aye, ya know a man likes a little encouragement now and again, if he is to be made bold," Maida said, pulling a bit of yarn loose from where Godiva sat with coils of it wrapped around her hands.
"Yes, well, I encouraged him to get off the ladder; and the last thing that man needs is more boldness," Godiva said, wishing it didn't feel like her wrists were bound and she was a captive to the conversation. "At any rate, for me, it is not as simple as liking or encouraging a man. What I want seldom matters; I need to do what is right for my people," she said quietly. "Whomever I marry; if I ever marry again; he will be their Lord. He will decide our alliances, he will defend us or make us into slaves. What if I choose the wrong man?" she asked, watching Maida's needles twirl in the air and twist the yarn around them.
"Ye have a lot on your shoulders, 'tis true. I've seen you come into yourself over the years, though. It wasn't right, you being' pushed into being' a lord when you'd been taught only to be a lady. A lady is made for harder choices than lords, though. A lord decides what's worth his people dying' for, but a lady; she has to make choices she has to keep living for. When yeh consider a man, or a gentleman in your case milady, think of the choices you'll need to live with and not the piddly wars these lords always get themselves into. Remember your job is to bring life; to him, to us, to your children, and to you. Where will life come from if naught from you? Choose your life well when it gives you the chance, my dear," Maida said, her cloudy eyes looking at Godiva's as if they could see straight through her veils into her heart. Forlorn, she just listened to the soft clicking of Maida's knitting for a while before putting the yarn down in a circle around the fat cat sleeping at her feet. Giving the old woman a kiss on the cheek, she went on her way to the church.
Upon entering the narthex, and lighting a candle, Godiva jumped when a voice spoke out of nowhere, "Your Ladyship, so good to see you again, as always," Reverend Palmer said, bowing low with a palm to his heart.
"Good day, Reverend; I hope you are well?" Godiva said, craning her head to look around the sanctuary and make sure they were alone. She didn't want to give people even more to gossip about, today. If she wasn't careful, word would spread that she was in here planning her wedding.
"How can a man of God be not well when he has such a visitor?" Reverend Palmer said, twinkling his eyes at her. "I wish I could say as much for the roof of the church, for it has seen better days. I thought to engage Sir Leofric after he had completed work at The Minxy Mare, but I heard you were violently against such things," he said, his mirth barely concealed.
Godiva groaned and trudged into the sanctuary and settled defeatedly into the nearest pew. "Eric; he just gets under my skin and;" she trailed off, clutching her hands in front of her as if strangling someone far taller than her. The priest came forward and gently pressed her hands downward, gently taking one in his own.
It was little known that the young veiled bride Lord Wilfred had brought to Coventry had an older cousin that had become a man of the cloth. After the war and her husband's death, no one questioned it when she brought the Reverend Eric Palmer to fill the post of shepherd to Coventry's sheep. Unlike many of his profession, however, her cousin believed that folk were already well aware of the wages of their sins and instead he sought to bring them closer to God and each other by also teaching them of His love and forgiveness.
"And yet, against all odds, Sir Leofric remains in Coventry," Reverend Palmer said, sitting down lightly next to her. "Our Lord remained dead three days, but no suitor of yours has remained in Coventry so long; until now. Either Sir Hulgar is growing soft, or; you actually like this one."
"What does it matter? You know I can't marry him. He's the King's choice, so most of the men in town would be up in arms about that. His family name is questionable at best because of the business with Northman, so half the landed gentry would hesitate to do business with us after that," she fretted.
"Northman was Sir Leofric's brother?" Reverend Palmer said, looking troubled. "Lord Northman was a good man. In everything I knew and heard of him, he was the finest of men. After his death, none of what was said about him being in league with Eadric the Acquisitive made any sense. Eadric was a snake and everyone knew it. How; how did you hear Leofric was family to Northman?"
Godiva seemed to shrink smaller under her veil, remaining silent. "Ah;" Reverend Palmer said, clasping his hands in his lap and studying them. "Cousin, if the man has shown you his heart, it is not kind to treat him with deceit or to give him false hope. You are better than that. If you don't want him, you need to tell him so, at once," he said, covering her clasped hands with one of his.
"It; it doesn't matter what I want, Eric;"
"Yes, yes; so I've heard. For what, then, do you pray, Lady Godgifu?"
Her throat tightened, "For everyone's health and happiness," she choked.
Reverend Palmer nodded, as if this answer was not unexpected. With his other hand, he offered her his kerchief to wipe the tears falling down her face. After settling herself and drying her face, she handed the kerchief back to him. Giving her hands a final warm squeeze, he stood.
To be continued in part 3. Based on a post by LingeringAfterthought in 5 parts, for Literotica.