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
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
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,
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
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
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
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
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
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,
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
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,
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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.
