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Legends of Godiva: Part 5

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Legends of Godiva: Part 5
Surviving a Viking camp is not easy.

Based on a post by LingeringAfterthought in 5 parts. Listen to the Podcast at Explicit Novels.



Godgifu

found Cnut sitting by the stream, absentmindedly throwing rocks into it
with a sour look on his face. She walked to his side and rested her
hand on his shoulder, "I'm sorry;" she said quietly.

"Why

the Pindsvin sorry?" Cnut said quietly, "Afraid of Cnut the beast?
Think he cut off the Pindsvin face for arguing with Cnut? You think
easy? Be king to three countries?"

"And

some of Sweden;" Godgifu added. "No; I don't. Half the time I can't
deal with Coventry, much less Mercia. No; I meant I was sorry for
assuming the worst about you. I only knew about you from stories told by
people angry and hurting about what they had lost in war. After all
that, I didn't even want you to be a man, much less one who's; well,
goofy and likeable," she said, sitting down next to him.

"Not likeable. The Emma; she not like Cnut," he said with tired resignation.

"Look, if you say another woman's name during sex, of course she's going to be mad;"

"No.

The Pindsvin not understand. The Emma not mad. The Emma not like Cnut.
The Leofric say 'everyone like Cnut,' but the Emma; no," he said,
throwing a pebble into the water.

"Well,

what have you given her to like?" Godgifu asked, pulling a blade of
grass out of the ground and putting it between her thumbs and blowing,
making a loud screeching squawk sound. "What I mean is, you were in
Coventry just a couple hours, and you got Sir Hulgar to like you; and he
doesn't like anybody," she said, bumping his elbow with her shoulder.

"We play dice;"

"So, you spent some time with him, doing something he likes to do? Okay; when do you spend time with Emma?"

"Cnut

king of three countries; spending time difficult. Give her good fuck.
She even make the squirrel sound with good fuck, but then turn away
after. Not talk. Not make the spoons. Just take the candle and the
feather and scratches the paper with the ink and cries. The Emma not
happy, not like Cnut. Maybe she think Cnut beast, too."

"So,

now you're going to Torksey so Leofric can tell her that, despite you
saying Aelfgifu's name during sex, you're not fucking her anymore? Your
plan is to prove the Emma's wrong to be upset and that you're right?"
Godgifu asked.

"Yes. Tell her Cnut is right, good husband;" he said, his voice trailing off until he sighed heavily. "This; not good plan."

"Nope.

Telling us we're emotional and wrong about feeling something is pretty
much going to go very badly for you every single time. You know what's a
good idea?" she asked. Cnut glanced over at her uneasily. "Bringing me
along with you," she finished.

"The Leofric; he not like this idea. The Pindsvin is small; break easy," he said, throwing a larger stone into the water.

"Yes,

and the Leofric also won't tell you when you have bad ideas. I will.
Bring me along, keep me safe somewhere and I'll help you win over the
Emma. No problem. Everything fine," Godgifu said, imitating him and
earning a scowl from Cnut.

"Pindsvin; you know Cnut not think 'everything fine' when he say 'everything fine,'" he admitted.

"Yes,

Sire. Leofric knows, too. He just won't tell you so. He's too nice.
He'll just help you anyway and probably get himself killed. Then, you
would have an even bigger problem than no Emma," Godgifu said.

"What problem then?"

"Me."

"Ah,"

Cnut said. Then, he stood and slowly pulled his tunic up and over his
head, revealing a tanned and toned torso, bulging with muscles, so
ridiculously gorgeous and perfect that Godgifu started laughing aloud.
Knowing exactly the affect he had on her, Cnut grinned, threw his tunic
at her, shucked his pants, and waded into the water to wash himself.

"Leofric! Help! I need to come again!" Godgifu laughingly yelled through the trees, watching Cnut bathe.

"Dammit woman, I'm currying Harold!" Leofric yelled back. "What happened? You were just supposed to apologize, for God's sake!"

"I

am Cnut!" the King announced in explanation, causing Godgifu to burst
into giggles. "Leofric! The Pindsvin comes with us to Torksey! Help us
to win the Emma!" he yelled.

"What?"

Leofric said, quickly running into the clearing. "Sire, that's; that's
not; I mean; perhaps we should consider; it might not be;"

"The Pindsvin come! I am Cnut!"

"Don't I get a say in any of this, Sire?"

"See,

I told you," Godgifu said, gesturing to Leofric. "He's too nice. You
need me." She stood and pulled Leofric's tunic over her head and threw
it down at his feet.

"Well, why does he need you?" Leofric asked, exasperated.

"I am Pindsvin!" she yelled happily, running naked into the water.

Cnut,

Leofric and Godgifu scouted the camp at Torksey, a fertile swath of
land close to the banks of the River Trent. Numerous shelters and lodges
lined the rough paths of the Vikings' army's winter home. Smoke came up
in several places, no doubt from fires stoked by metalworkers that were
melting down items stolen from England's holy places.

Much

to their surprise, there was also a small, but steady, stream of people
approaching the camp. Cnut explained that it was known that many
English towns nearby did business with the winter camp, but he never
heard tell of numbers that would explain what they saw today. Everyone
funneled toward a single entry point, where they would relinquish their
weapons, submit to inquiries, and hand over a sum of money or goods
before being allowed into the camp.

Godgifu

whispered to the two men crouched over where she lay behind the bush,
"All right, so the plan is, I get in line, go in there and tell them I
am a maid you sent to Emma, and then I talk with her and try to get her
out of there;"

"No.

That is not the plan. You're staying safe here at the ca;" Leofric
said, frowning down at her, only to be interrupted by the King.

Cnut grunted in agreement. "Yes. Plan very good. And the Pindsvin not say about when Cnut spray seed on numsen;"

Godgifu

looked over her other shoulder to Cnut and rolled her eyes, "Why on
Earth would you think I'd tell her about you coming on my ass? Honestly;
you think that we'd just be chatting about court or hairstyles and I'd
just blurt out 'Oh, by the way;"

"No.

You won't be chatting with anyone about anything because you will be
here;" Leofric said, tugging her braid to turn her head toward him.
Godgifu tugged her braid out of his hand, turned back to the King and
raised her eyebrows, waiting for the answer to her question.

Cnut

held up a hand, effectively covering Godgifu's entire face, "Cnut knows
the women. They get together. They say all the things," he said darkly.

Leofric

growled in frustration, "Diva, stop ignoring me. That is a Viking camp.
Do you have any idea what they do to people, much less to someone like
you?"

Godgifu

clenched her jaw and shook her head, "Leofric, you know I should be the
one to go. I speak the language and I'm not, well; you two. If you two
go and they recognized Cnut in there, they might hold him hostage and
there's not a lot of people in the Witengamot that would pay to get him
out. You can't go because you look exactly like every guy that's been
fighting them all this time and they'd probably kill you on sight.
Nobody ever worries about me because I look like a little;"

"Pindsvin; hedgehog, yes," Cnut said absently, patting the top of her head while squinting at the line of men entering the camp.

"So;

what do I tell her to get her to leave?" Godgifu asked, worriedly
watching Leofric rise angrily and stalk back to their camp.

"Tell her Cnut is here," he said, shrugging as if saying the obvious.

Godgifu

snorted and rolled her eyes, "Well, why would that make her leave the
camp? You go off to another country after saying the wrong name when you
were having sex and all of a sudden she's supposed to jump for joy when
she gets a summons from you? No. You need to soften her up a bit. Be
nice. Remind her of the good times. Like, what did you say when you
asked her to marry you?"

"Not

ask. Treaty. Treaty say 'Marry Cnut and promise not kill the Emma's
Aethelred children. Send them to France. Not-dead children love France.
Chalk cliffs. Good cheese. Everything fine."

"Oh, dear God, you've really been leaning hard on this good-looking thing, haven't you?" Godgifu grumbled under her breath.

"I am Cnut;" he said, shrugging.

"Yeah,

you are Cnut; and the Cnut is handsome. But, you know what? If you want
to stay married and be a good king, you've gotta work harder than that.
You've had it easy because you're tall, gorgeous, rich and powerful.
Problem is, you're no longer trying to get a woman to bed, now. You're
trying to make your wife happy and that's a completely different thing. A
woman might get stupid once or twice about a handsome man, but unless
you build more than that, she'll only hate herself more and more every
time she gives in to you. Orgasms only make you happy for so long.
Not-dead children living in another country aren't a good basis for a
marriage, either. It doesn't give you a lot to talk about. I wish
Leofric didn't hate the idea of it so much. He would know what to say,"
Godgifu said, glancing back to the grove of trees where Leofric had
disappeared.

Cnut grunted, "The Leofric has good words. Good words; ugly face."

"Shut up!" she said, slapping his shoulder, "He's not ugly! He's just bruised. Don't be a jerk!"

"Why

the small women always smæk big men?" grumbled Cnut scowling and
rubbing his shoulder. "What Leofric say to win grumpy Pindsvin?" he
asked.

Godgifu

thought for a while and smiled, shaking her head, "Not a thing,
actually. In a situation where most people would have said a whole bunch
of wrong things, Leofric just stayed quiet and close and invited me
choose whether to talk to him; and it made me want to. He red me
perfectly. That's what you need to do. Emma needs you to notice her, to
enjoy her; to see what makes her happy." Godgifu sighed, looking up the
trees to where Leofric had disappeared in the distance. She hated to do
this. She wished there was another way.

"So, what makes the Emma happy?" she asked, poking Cnut in the hip with her elbow to draw his attention away from the camp.

Instead of looking down at her, he kept his eyes fixed on the rough looking camp and sighed. "Not Cnut," he answered simply.

"Well,

fine. I'll talk with her and get her to you, but just think about what I
said, because making this woman happy just became your biggest
challenge," Godgifu said.

Cnut

grunted in agreement and handed her a small pack, strapping it on her
back and across her front in a way that seemed odd, yet comfortable.
Looking back to the camp, she squared her shoulders, trying to be braver
than she felt. "Okay;" she said, coughing to cover for her throat
tightening in fear, "I'll come back as soon as I can. Tell Leofric; tell
him; you know;" she said, wiping away the tears that started falling
down her cheeks.

Steeling

herself, Godgifu started off for the Viking camp, but found her
progress hindered when her feet left the ground. "What are you doing?"
she squawked, as Cnut lifted her over his shoulder by her waistband and
returned to the grove where Leofric had gone.

"The

Leofric ready?" Cnut said, casually hanging Godgifu's kicking and
squirming body from a branch on the tree and securing the strap around
it that he had wrapped around her body under the guise of securing her
pack.

Leofric turned from Harold to Cnut, his face a mask of confused relief. "She's; not going then?"

"Pindsvin

easy to catch when think she get her way. You not know this? Why work
so hard?" Cnut said, casually ducking as Godgifu's foot grazed his ear.
"She watch from here. Know her Leofric safe."

Leofric

nodded, glad Cnut couldn't see the fury in Godgifu's eyes. Leaning in
and hoping she didn't take a bite out of him, he murmured, "Watch us. If
anything goes wrong or if we don't come back by morning, go back to
Coventry and tell Sir Hulgar what has happened. Tell no one who supports
the Witengamot, just Sir Hulgar," he said, brushing Godgifu's hair back
behind her ear.

"How

am I supposed to do that? Loosen these straps. Cut me free. He's tied
me up here like I'm going to be spit roasted," she hissed.

"How

is it that treason is always the answer to every problem you come
across? After we're gone, use the knife you're trying to wriggle out of
your sleeve. You'll be free in 20 minutes. Now, give me a kiss for
luck;" he whispered. Godgifu's lips trembled, unshed tears filling her
eyes. Finally, she nodded and lifted her face to his. Expecting trouble,
Leofric pecked her lips quickly and just barely dodged a head-butt from
his future wife.

With

a glare of annoyance, Leofric reached behind her and pulled the hidden
knife out of her sleeve, throwing it to the ground out of reach. Then,
purposefully, he ran his hands over every inch of her body, removing
three more weapons before he finished with her. "You come back," she
said, wriggling against her bindings. "You come back, Leofric, or so
help me I'll; I'll do the most dangerous thing I can think of; and then
I'll keep doing dangerous things until I can join you again," she vowed.

Leofric

only smiled, took her face in his hands and kissed her tenderly,
coaxing her lips with his until he felt her soften and kiss him back.
"What did I do to deserve you?" he asked, smiling and pressing his
forehead to hers.

"The

Leofric was punishment for the Pindsvin tax debt! Come!" Cnut shouted,
starting down the hill toward the camp. Leofric sighed, kissed Godgifu
one last time, and took off to join the King.

Godgifu

watched the two men stride downhill and join the line of people waiting
to enter the camp, slipping a length of thick wire out of the cuff of
her tunic, careful to avoid the serrated edge carved into one side and
began sawing away at the leather straps binding her to the tree. Her
eyes never moved from the two men casually joining the line of men
waiting to join the camp, trying to read their body language, drawing
any possible meaning from the slightest gesture.

Just

as the men reached the front of the line, Godgifu cut through her
bindings and climbed onto the branch to which she had been bound. When
it was their turn to enter, Cnut spoke briefly to the guards. Then, he
nodded to Leofric, who reached into his pack for a pouch; probably the
money they were charging for admittance to the camp. Leofric handed the
pouch to Cnut who passed it over to the guards. They were in! It was
working!

Then,

Leofric turned toward her, his face lit up by the golden setting sun,
and smiled. Godgifu almost raised a hand to wave to him; and then he
sneezed. Leofric had done nothing more exciting than sneeze, when
suddenly, as Godgifu watched in horror, the guards started shouting and
sacks were thrown over both Leofric and Cnut's heads as the men
protested, their hands were bound behind them, and they were dragged
away kicking and struggling.

"Watch

us. If anything goes wrong or if we don't come back by morning, go back
to Coventry and tell Sir Hulgar what has happened;" Leofric's parting
words echoed in Godgifu's mind. She had no intention whatsoever of
heeding them, but having his voice with her was a comfort as she crept
through the darkness around the edges of the Viking camp.

Godgifu

was accustomed to sneaking around unseen. After years of sneaking out
of the castle, past servants and Sir Hulgar's watchful eye to rid
herself of the veils she had to wear and put on the comfortable dress
that she wore as Lady Godiva, she could easily melt into shadows or walk
through lit places and be mistaken as someone else. These skills served
her well as she prowled the cold marshes surrounding the encampment,
watching and learning.

She

had seen the men drag Leofric and Cnut toward an area where numerous
boats had been pulled onto the land and prepared for wintering. Had they
been killed? Why would they have been brought to such a place? It
didn't look like anyone spent much time out here with the boats. Most of
the camp's population preferred the warmer areas where the
metalworkers' fires burned. After searching the boat area, the only
thing she saw was a disgruntled man arguing with himself as he carved a
knife handle out of a piece of bone.

Frustrated,

Godgifu took to watching the occupants of the camp instead. Most of the
men were engaged in some form of metalworking. Some were sorting
pillaged items according to their metal into piles, where they would be
moved to different areas of the camp to be broken into pieces and melted
into coins or ingots by the ever-burning fires. Slaves were everywhere.
Mostly boys and young men, though there were some women, as well. The
most menial tasks were reserved for the male slaves: feeding the fires,
carrying non-precious items around. The female thralls were most often
seen sewing or cooking food, when they weren't regularly being pulled
into a shelter to service one of the Vikings.

From

what Godgifu could tell, when they weren't counting their plunder or
forcing themselves on their slaves, the Vikings mostly argued with each
other. It appeared the camp was made up of several disparate groups of
Vikings from different areas in Norway, Sweden, and Denmark. The
languages were all somewhat similar, and because Godgifu spoke Danish,
she was able to understand most of what they were saying. As for why
they were arguing, it was surprising how petty it all was.

Apparently

two enormous blonde men, Hafdan and Gorm, were at odds because Hafdan
used Gorm's favorite cup without permission and dented it when Hafdan
came to blows with Toke over the proper lyrics to the song "Orm's Bloody
Stump." After knocking Toke unconscious with the cup, Hafdan won the
argument, but sadly the exceptional cup was irreparably damaged, in
Gorm's view.

Skarde

told anyone that would listen that Leif's campsite was encroaching on
his campsite. He ended his rants by pointing to a large rock marker he
had placed at the border between the two shelters, promising that anyone
who dared to touch it would be smelted along with the copper. Godgifu
also saw Leif emerge and nudge the rock over a touch when Skarde had
gone back inside his tent.

Bjorn

was despondent after burning half his beard away while playing a
smelting prank on Balder. Apparently, the smelting prank involved a
comical explosion of sorts, which killed Balder's favorite bed slave, as
well as leaving half of Bjorn's beard charred away. Balder was
insisting that Bjorn pay for the loss of his bed slave, and Bjorn was
insisting that Balder should cut off half of his own beard first.
Balder, for his part, did not appreciate Bjorn's logic.

Most

of all, the Torksey Vikings argued about something called "hnefatafl."
Godgifu didn't understand the word, but it appeared it was a game
involving many pieces on a board. It seemed to be like chess, but with
one player starting with their pieces clustered in the middle of the
board and the other player's pieces surrounding them.

Godgifu

learned that the Torksey camp was having a hnefatafl tournament, which
explained the steady stream of people entering the camp after paying a
fee. What she also gathered was that the tournament was not going well.
Apparently, all the Viking groups that populated Torksey had different
rules for playing hnefatafl, and because there was no recognized
leadership among the different groups, the tournament that was likely
intended as an enjoyable diversion for the colder weather had mounted
quite the death toll amongst them. Indeed, it was rare that two Vikings
of different bands would sit down at a hnefatafl board and it wouldn't
end in blows or bloodshed.

None

of this explained why Leofric and Cnut were bagged and dragged away at
the main entrance to the camp, but Godgifu hoped that an explanation and
news of their welfare would come in time. Considering that the Vikings
had no problems with maiming or striking each other dead for the
slightest infractions, the fact that Leofric and Cnut were not killed
immediately was actually encouraging. Godgifu had no doubt that if the
Vikings wanted them dead, Leofric and Cnut would be dead.

It

was in a tent-like shelter on the outskirts of the camp that Godgifu
found Queen Emma. Unlike the other shelters, it appeared somewhat
cleaner and even more telling were the cracks of light between the walls
of the tent by someone using candles inside. Gathering her courage,
Godgifu waited until she would not be seen, and then crept up to the
opening in the tent, where a soft voice could be heard muttering English
in a vaguely French accent. "He roughly clasped her slender frame in
his manly arms, shocking her untested virtue with the passionate,
throbbing heat of his turgid;"

"Um; my Lady?" Godgifu whispered loudly.

The

voice fell silent, the occupant obviously pretending that no one was
there. Godgifu would have found the situation amusing, if it weren't
also so serious. "My Lady, I need to speak with you," she pressed.

Silence.

"My Lady, it is urgent;" Godgifu persisted.

"Just leave it by the door and go!" the voice said, somewhat annoyed now.

"My Lady, I don't have a package. I'm here to;"

"Are

you daft? How can you be so tedious? Go away!" the voice yelled, and
then an apple core flew out of the tent, narrowly missing Godgifu.

Godgifu,

Countess of Mercia, while versed in the usual political delicacies of
court, had not had the privilege of practicing patience with imperious
and obstinate people for a while. That, coupled with the fact she was
cold and miserable from creeping around the camp in a marsh for several
hours, may have explained why instead of dodging the passing fruit,
Godgifu caught it and returned it to the Queen at a high rate of speed.
The core virtually exploded on the back of Emma's head as she hunched
over something she was writing.

The

Queen of England, Denmark, Norway and some of the Swedes, having thusly
been invited into polite discourse, flung the flap of the tent aside,
revealing a tall woman of striking presence, and keenly intelligent
eyes. "Thorstein!" she screamed.

"Oh

crap;" Godgifu said, shrinking back into the shadows. "My Lady, please,
I need to tell you something." Emma ignored Godgifu's words and hoisted
the smaller woman by the waistband of her pants.

A

rather embarrassed-looking Viking came running over from a tent nearby,
putting his clothing back into place. Emma held Godgifu out to the man,
"Thorstein; take this; whatever it is; to the kitchens and have it
cooked. And if you allow one more person to come to my tent unannounced,
I will personally;"

"My

Lady! Please listen!" Godgifu interrupted, "I am a maid sent here by;
someone you know? I've come with an, um; escort? He, uh, also needs to
speak with you?" Godgifu interrupted, hoping her hints would be enough
to get Emma listen and help her without disclosing in front of Thorstein
that one of her escorts was in fact the country's King. "He, um; his
English isn't perfect, but he really needs to talk with the Emma.
Everything fine. No problem."

Queen

Emma stared at Godgifu, her regal face coldly impassive. The silence
that followed seemed to stretch on forever. Godgifu struggled to remain
still under the other woman's acute examination. She had a sudden urge
to confess to everything she had ever done in her life, such was the
intensity of Emma's scrutiny. After what felt like an eternity, Emma
dropped Godgifu into the mud, and turned back toward her tent.
"Thorstein, go bring a hot bath. The maid's not going anywhere near my
things smelling like that," she called over her shoulder.

"Actually, my Lady, slaves bathe over by the;" Thorstein began.

Emma

whirled around and stalked toward the Viking as he shrank back uneasily
from her, "Thorstein, when you begin a statement with 'actually,' like I
am some deranged creature that needs to be gently reminded of reality, I
really do feel compelled to abuse you with one of those tent poles."

"One

of those 'turgid' tent poles;" Godgifu offered. At this, Emmas eyebrows
raised in an expression of delight and she ran inside her tent and
scribbled something frantically. Godgifu looked up at Thorstein in
bewilderment, "She didn't just go use 'tent pole' as a euphemism for a
cock, did she?" she asked.

Thorstein

shook his head frantically with a look of panic on his face, "Hist!
Don't; don't ask about her stories," he hissed, then turned and ran back
toward the main camp.

Emma

immediately darted out of the tent the moment he was gone, "Thorstein
will be gone a while now. Take me to the King," she ordered.

"I

can't. I don't know where they are. I think they're still alive, but I
don't know what's happened to them," Godgifu said, unsuccessfully trying
to wipe the mud off herself.

Emma

wrinkled her nose in distaste. "Come in and tell me what you have to
say; and, for God's sake, leave those clothes outside."

By

the time Thorstein had filled a small tub with water, Godgifu finished
telling Emma of the events of the last two days. To say that she was not
pleased would be an understatement. "Oh, good God; why on Earth would
that meathead follow me here?"

"Well; because you're his wife?" Godgifu suggested.

"A

distinction that is not as unique as I had once hoped," Emma said,
turning away toward her writing, looking troubled. Godgifu watched as
Emma's face slowly changed as she red the scroll, her troubles
disappearing as she immersed herself in the story. Her face gradually
grew more and more dissatisfied as she neared the end of the document.
"Ugh, I can't do anything with this. I should just kill everyone and
start again," she muttered, crumpling the parchment and throwing it
across the tent.

"Please tell me you mean the story, my Lady;" Godgifu murmured.

"What? Oh. Right. That. You say they were bagged?"

"Yes.

Everything was looking good, they were going to be admitted to the
camp, and then Leofric turned to me; then he sneezed.; and then
everything just went mad. They threw bags over them and dragged them
away toward the boats."

Emma

sighed. "They are in quarantine. They must have thought Leofric was
ill. There has been a fever going around the towns and they are very
careful about anyone coming into the camp. They still want the entrance
fees, so they throw the visitors into a knar until they are sure they
will not spread disease throughout the camp; or until they die."

"Well,

I'm almost certain Leofric's not ill. Sunlight makes him sneeze. It's
the strangest thing, but it does. The sun was behind me and it was in
his eyes. Do you think we can we get them out?"

"Why

would you want to? The man leaves you to run off with an idiot right
before your wedding, and you being heavy with his child!"

"What? I'm not pregnant!"

"Don't be ridiculous. Look at you! Those tits! Your ass! It is enormous!"

Wrapped

in a blanket and still shivering, Godgifu took a deep breath hoping for
patience; or another apple core to throw at the Queen. "Be that as it
may; wouldn't it be better to go resolve our differences in a place
that;"

"My Lady! There are two men here who wish to hold counsel with you," Thorstein said, slightly out of breath.

"I

cannot go until the tournament is finished," Emma told Godgifu,
ignoring Thorstein. "And the tournament will never be finished because
these idiots cannot agree on a set of rules and;"

"My Lady, Trygve claims that the axe Magnus is fashioning is too similar to;"

"Cut Off His Head, Then!" Emma yelled.

"Which one?" Thorstein asked.

"I

don't care! Whoever is slowest!" Emma replied. There was a scuffling
sound and rapid thudding as the two men ran from the tent. "Are they
still there?" Emma asked after a pause.

"No, my Lady," Thorstein replied, sounding like he was trying not to laugh.

"Is the bath ready?"

"Almost, my Lady. I need to bring a few more rocks to heat it."

"Then go bring rocks, Thorstein," Emma said.

"Yes, my Lady."

Emma

waited until Thorstein's footsteps could no longer be heard, then she
continued. "Anyway, until these imbeciles finish their tournament, I
cannot award the prize, and they won't finish the tournament until; what
is it? Why is your hand in the air?"

Godgifu

blinked in surprise to see her own hand raised. "Um; I have a question.
What; what was that?" she asked, pointing out the tent opening.

"What was what?"

"Thorstein with the men; the argument; the beheading;" Godgifu said, waving her hand in the air in bewilderment.

"Oh

that. That's nothing. I was invited here by a friend and he let it slip
out that the Queen will be awarding the prizes, hoping to draw more
entrants into the tournament. Of course, now they are bringing me their
idiotic arguments for some damned reason and I swear if I must hear one
more grown man complaining about;"

"But

don't you realize?" Godgifu stood, clutching the blanket around her.
"This is the answer! They see you as an authority! They will listen to
you! They've been sitting around bickering about nonsense because they
don't really have a leader to decide things. But; they are asking you
what to do! You want this tournament to end; you tell them what rules to
go by! Go meet with one of the men from each group and hear how they
play honfluffle;"

"Hnefatafl."

"Right.

Whatever. Have each of them tell you how they play it. Then, after each
one tells you, you praise them and say what a great way to play that
is. After everyone has told you how they play and gotten praised for it,
you tell them that how henfatawful is played in England is definitely
not the best way and how you wish it could be played the way they played
it. Then, you take some of the rules from each group and then tell them
that this is the terrible way it is played in England, and that you
will consider all their better rules for future tournaments. Then they
play, you pass out the prize, and then we can all go home!"

"Home;

to live with Cnut the Unfaithful and Unromantic. I guess there is
nothing else to be done; and I am tired to the point of death of eating
eels. Are you so certain they will accept me as an authority?"

"Well,

why not first hold court a bit and decide a few of these arguments
first? If they start accepting your words as wisdom, it will pave the
way for deciding the rules;"

"Hm.

That is; not entirely moronic," Emma said, looking at Godgifu with more
interest. "I am beginning to see why your people follow you so
devotedly. You know, Countess Godgifu of Mercia, I told my husband he
should kill you, several times. I am glad he did not."

"Thank you, my Lady; but why would he kill me several times?" Godgifu asked.

"Ugh. Never mind. Go have Thorstein gather the men."

"Her

Ladyship will now hear matters of the utmost importance first,"
Thorstein called out to the crowd of rough-looking men. A clamor arose
as several men spoke at once, and then began pounding on each other as
others in the crowd shouted encouragement. Godgifu, standing at Queen
Emma's side, spoke quietly in her ear. Queen Emma beckoned Thorstein and
gave him instructions. "Men with matters of utmost importance will
raise their ale cups and wait to be called upon!" Thorstein amended.

Queen

Emma nodded to the first man Guthrum, who stood and spoke vividly and
at length about the difficulty of finding and catching eels in the marsh
surrounding the camp, as well as his strong feelings that his work was
under-appreciated by all. Queen Emma, who had by all accounts grown
tired of eating eels, along with the rest of the camp, opened her mouth
to reply when Godgifu leaned down and murmured something in her ear.
Emma turned and looked at her incredulously, but after a moment, turned
back to the man and paused to consider her words. "Her Highness is not a
stranger to thankless tasks, Guthrum," she said, after taking a deep
breath. "You must allow us to express our appreciation for your;
generous efforts; by granting you the title 'Sir Guthrum, Wrestler of
Eels and Feeder of All.'" At this, Guthrum's eyes grew wide, his barrel
chest puffing out with pride, before he returned to his place and
enduring the jealous teasing of his companions.

After

several hours and numerous creative knighthoods, Thorstein announced
that the Queen would hear more of their matters of utmost importance in a
few days' time, but that she was now needed to preside over the
Commission on Hneftafl Rules so that the tournament might commence. This
was greeted by loud cheers from the gathering, who were now intent upon
celebrating their new titles.

It

was nearly dawn by the time Emma and Godgifu emerged from the
Commission on Hneftafl Rules, triumphant but weary. After Godgifu
stumbled and fell for a second time, Thorstein put her over his shoulder
as he escorted the Queen back to her tent. "What about Leofric and
Cnut;?" Godgifu mumbled sleepily.

"We have done enough for a day," the Queen sighed, "they will come to no harm where they are."

"He does care about you, you know;" Godgifu said. "He just doesn't know how to show it."

Emma

let out a bitter bark of a laugh. "He cares about keeping his throne. I
was the least expensive means to that end. He was my best hope of
keeping my children alive. It doesn't matter; what's done is done. You
can warm my bed tonight; this morning, I mean. We will see about freeing
them when we wake." Emma then fell into bed fully clothed and promptly
fell asleep.

As

weary as she was, sleep would did not come to Godgifu, as long as
Leofric was being held without any news of his fate. So, she crept out
of the tent and through the camp to where she had been told they were
being held in quarantine and knocked on the hull of the knar. "Hello?
Leofric?"

She

heard a muffled chuckling coming from inside the boat. "Now, I know
that couldn't be my lovely bride, because I recall telling her to go
back to Coventry if anything went wrong;" Leofric said. "Thank God
you're safe."

"Cnut wins bet!" Cnut called out, triumphantly.

"Did you actually bet that I would go back to Coventry without you?" Godgifu scoffed.

"No,

I made a bet with the King on how long it would take you to come here
and show me how utterly disobedient you were. What kept you?" Leofric
clarified.

"Oh;

you know; the Queen and I had some matters of utmost importance to
attend to," Godgifu said with a yawn. "She'll work on getting you out of
there when she wakes up. You're in quarantine; because you sneezed;"

"Yes,

we know. They had a guard sitting with us for a while and he told us
our situation. Then, he was asked to go attend a commission of some
sort," Leofric said.

"Hneftafl

rules! Yes!" Cnut called out. "Is about time! Damn Swedes ruining game!
Stubborn pon jumping bullshit; pons not jump. How get them to agree to
rules?" he asked.

"It

was Emma;" Godgifu said, leaning her tired back against the hull where
she could hear Leofric's voice the clearest. "You should have seen her,
Cnut; she is so clever; and so sad;" she said, her eyes too heavy to
stay open anymore. Cold and weary beyond reason, she pulled the blanket
around herself and slept against the side of the boat.

Godgifu

awoke curled up on a soft bed, with a familiar-smelling large body
wrapped around her. She was deliciously warm with the small exception of
her toes, which had been exposed from under the blanket covering her
and her bedmate, causing them to become tiny icicles. It occurred to her
that Leofric's legs were quite warm against hers, so she adjusted her
body slightly and slipped her toes in between his muscular thighs.

"Ah! The hell?" Leofric yelled, yanked suddenly into unwilling consciousness.

"My

toes are cold;" Godgifu whimpered, moving her frozen digits to a new
place between his thighs that hadn't been unpleasantly cooled by her
toes.

"You

don't say; God's blood, woman;" Leofric grumbled, pulling her back
against him and squeezing his thighs together to prevent her toes from
seeking a warmer climate again. "You realize the rest of you was the
temperature of your toes when Emma came to get us out of that knar? Take
more care with yourself and our child, Diva, or I'll tie you to our bed
when we get home," he said, brushing his lips against the back of her
neck.

"Ugh!

I am not pregnant! How many times do I have to tell people?" Godgifu
huffed. "As if I'm not going to be in enough trouble with Sir Hulgar
about going missing for days, can you imagine if I returned pregnant and
unmarried?"

"I

think I would bear more of his ire than you would, upon our return,"
Leofric mused. "That's why I sent him a message as soon as we were
released. I wouldn't put it past him to take on an entire Viking camp to
ensure your safe return."

"Any ideas on when that will be?" she asked.

"Hmm;

hard to say," Leofric said just as the flap to the outer room of the
tent opened. Through a crack between the curtains separating the large
bed area from the outer room, Godgifu saw Emma enter looking tense. Cnut
entered shortly after.

"There's

no need for you to stay," Emma said, straightening her papers with her
back to him. "I am sure you have many things waiting for you that are
more important than one of your wives."

"Emma;" Cnut said, looking pained.

"No.

Truly. I understand. I know how it all works. I learned that lesson
early when I was married off to an old man that took my virginity and I
gave him his heirs in return. You probably had no more choice in your
marriage to Aelfgifu than I had to Aethelred; no more choice than you
had in marrying me. We need each other too much to pretend to be lovers.
Go rule your kingdoms. Take wives in each of them, for all I care. You
have my loyalty. I will sit by your side. I will face the Witengamot
with you. I will smile and wave and hold court. Just; do not ask for my
heart, Cnut. You do not need it; and it is all I have left of myself."

"Emma;" Cnut said, heat growing in his eyes, and warning creeping into his tone.

"I mean it! Just go! You have your convenient English Queen! Now, leave me in peace!"

"You

think because Cnut surround land with steel and ships that Cnut think
land was his? No. Land was not Cnut's until soft places inside her
yielded and watched for Cnut's return with hunger and joy. England cast
Cnut out and he returned ten times stronger to claim her as his own.
Cast Cnut out now, Emma; Cnut will return. He will not stop until every
soft place is his. I know the Emma; she is not mine until her heart is."

"You

do not know me, Cnut. Do not bother to pretend. You can barely even
remember my name," Emma said, wrestling her face under control, then
straightening and finally turning to face him. "We are a Queen; and
Queens can afford no soft places. We wish His Majesty fine weather and
safe travels on his way home."

Emma

turned back to her papers and shuffled them again while Cnut drew
close. Godgifu felt Leofric tense and ready behind her, though ready for
what? If Cnut became violent or forced his will upon his wife, what
right would either of them have to interfere? Cnut was King. Still,
neither of them were of the nature to sit quietly and see a woman
mishandled, regardless of the consequence. Godgifu clutched Leofric's
hand in hers, frightened. Cnut took a deep breath, then released it,
closing his eyes. "Cnut will go," he said quietly.

Emma's

face fell slightly, then twisted and recomposed itself. Godgifu's heart
broke as she watched the Queen's mouth open, then close, swallowing
words she couldn't bring herself to say. Cnut fidgeted with his pack,
seeming to want to say more, to tell her his feelings, but frustrated
with his inability to express them in her language. "When they wake, you
tell Leofric and the Pindsvin I go. Say Cnut gives thanks."

"I will," Emma said quietly.

"Queen Emma come when tournament done? Cnut will come back. Give Queen Emma escort;"

"That; that won't be necessary."

Cnut

looked at Emma's back and raised a hand, almost touching her arm, then
dropped it and turned to go. He had pushed the flap to the doorway aside
when he paused and turned, "Cnut forget; Emma leave this at home;" he
said, holding out balanced on the tip of his index finger, a delicately
carved quill.

Emma

turned, her stricken face transforming, "That's; you found it! My
favorite one! I looked for this everywhere! Where did you find it?" Emma
gasped, seizing it from Cnut with delight.

"Cnut

come home. Look for the Emma. He find the quill that writes about the
Eva and the Ragnar with the big cock that never goes soft," Cnut said.

Emma

paled and looked like she might be sick. "You've red my stories?" Emma
gasped. "I would have hidden them, if I thought; I didn't think you
could; I mean, your English is so;"

"Read

English easier than speak. Listen; understand; easier than speak. Speak
is hardest. This is so," Cnut said, shrugging. After a pause, he
frowned in confusion and looked at Emma, "Why make the Eva so small?"

Emma

blinked in surprise. "Why is she; well, Eva is petite. She is the ideal
woman. Delicate and small; shy and meek," she said, blushing and
looking uncomfortable.

"Ideal;"

Cnut scoffed, "Eva like small dog man carry around and fuck when he put
down. Not interesting; not ideal. Eva should be tall; long arms and
neck;"

Emma

fidgeted and drew her hand up, brushing it against her long neck
absentmindedly. "People; people don't want to read about a tall woman
for a romantic heroine; a small woman makes a man seem bigger; more
powerful; tall women aren't sexy."

Cnut

turned and took a step closer to her, "No; make Eva tall; she walk into
room and heads turn and follow her. Smart woman that make heart beat
faster or stop with one look; like the Emma at court. Emma walk in room
with poison snakes and they become like baby duck and follow her in
line," he said warmly, looking up and down her long, lithe figure.

"Don't be; don't be ridiculous; they; they don't;"

"Like

baby duck;" he insisted, casually brushing her body as he walked past
her and lifted a paper from her desk, "This is new, yes?" he asked,
reading it.

"It

is; well, I mean it was, but it's; ugh. It's terrible. I just can't;"
she trailed off, her eyes flickering back and forth between Cnut's face
and the page. Cnut's face changed the way Emma's had when she became
engrossed in her own story. After a while, Cnut smiled and nodded at a
passage and she leaned in to see which part he was reading.

"This part; the Ragnar slide hand down the Eva's back; Cnut do this to the Emma;"

Emma

smirked, "Yes, you did; it surprised me that first night; I thought you
would; you know; be impatient to consummate the marriage; the treaty;
establish your reign, but you were; well, it; it wasn't what I
expected."

Cnut

turned from the page, looking over her face with a slight smile.
"Emma's back; at the wedding, at court, all that day; the Emma's back
hard and straight, like steel. That night; I see back; I see the Emma
soft; not Queen made of steel, but woman; I wanted to touch."

"Well,

I; I was yours to touch; by treaty, by rights, by marriage. I just; I
was grateful you were not cruel. I feared you might be. It was; it was a
long war," Emma said, crossing her arms around herself and looking
around the tent.

"It

was long war; but war not with the Emma," Cnut said quietly, leaning
slightly and smelling her hair. "Eva; she should smell like the; ah,
lavendel; what is word?"

"Lavender;" Emma said, smiling.

"Yes;

the hair smell like the lavender; but not the kusse; how say that? What
is word?" Cnut said slyly, putting the story down and winding an arm
around Emma's waist.

Emma

bit her lips and shook her head, blushing. "Queens do not use this
word," she murmured, reaching up to run her fingers through his finely
shaped beard.

"Kusse; kusse; kusse;" Cnut whispered, running his lips across her cheek.

Emma shivered, but shook her head stubbornly, trying not to giggle. "Stop it. I am not saying it, Cnut;"

"Kusse;

kusse; kusse; kusse;" he murmured, going to his knees and ducking under
her skirts. Emma squeaked in surprise, quickly glancing to where
Leofric and Godgifu quickly pretended to be asleep. A low, laughing
growl emerged from her skirts, before wet sucking and lapping noises
filled the air.

Emma

gasped and looked around the tent again like she was worried about
witnesses, then her head fell back and she grabbed at the table for
support. "Oh; you can't; they're still asleep in the;" Emma's breathy
protests were cut short when she clapped her hand over her mouth and
moaned behind her fingers, answered by Cnut's muffled lewd laughter.

"Say Emma will be wife;" Cnut murmured from under her skirts, doing something that made Emma gasp and grab at his head.

Emma bit her lips, trying to keep from crying out, then gritted out, "It's; not that easy, Cnut;"

A

low chuckle came out of her skirts as Emma began losing the battle to
remain quiet and cried out as she came. Emma shivered and became weak
and languid as Cnut emerged from under her dress sucking his fingers.
Before she fell, Cnut caught her up in his arms, looking down at her
warmly, "Not easy. Never easy; but the Emma is not Queen; the Emma is
paradise; and I am Cnut. Cnut find way."

"You

called, My Lady?" Thorstein asked, leaning his head into the entry of
the tent, then ducked out quickly as an apple bounced off his head.

"Get

out!" Emma yelled. Leofric and Godgifu, taking Emma's order to
Thorstein as an opportunity, jumped out of bed, and ran out of the tent
naked, hunched over and holding their clothes.

From

outside, Leofric and Godgifu heard the muffled sounds of clothes being
shed and bodies falling into bed together. They looked at each other and
smirked, happy that Cnut and Emma were finding their way together,
stifling their laughter as they dressed.

Leofric

and Godgifu walked around the camp until the sun began to set, greeting
all the newly-dubbed nobility as they passed, intending to return to
Cnut and Emma's tent after a discreet time had passed.

As

they walked, Godgifu frequently glanced up to see Leofric looking down
at her, annoyed and relieved at the same time. "What is it?" she finally
asked.

Leofric

shook his head ruefully. "My lovely bride sneaks into a Viking camp
rather than do the one sensible thing I asked of her. They would have
thrown you out of the army," he said.

"Well,

you knew I wouldn't leave you, so I don't see why you bothered to ask.
I'm not good at obeying orders, Leofric. I've been making my own
decisions and ruling over Mercia for most of my life, and if you think
that's going to change just because;" Godgifu's argument was cut short
when Leofric knelt and pulled her into his arms, kissing her.

She

grew soft and pliant under his lips, clinging to him as their kiss
deepened. When they parted, she was surprised to feel tears running down
her face. "I love you, Leofric. I'm too short, and I'm disobedient, and
I do ridiculous things all the time; but for what it's worth, I love
you; and I'll love you until the day I die," she whispered.

Leofric's

eyes roamed over her face adoringly. "I would have you no other way,
Diva. My only regret is that it took so long to find you. Now that
you're mine, I'll never;" Leofric trailed off, his arms around her going
tense as he looked around them.

When

Godgifu turned to see what had distracted him, her stomach dropped. A
group of enormous blonde men were walking toward them, spreading out and
flanking the two. Leofric rose and subtly pulled Godgifu behind him,
feeling for a weapon he didn't have.

Godgifu

tried to see if she could recognize the men from the Commission on
Hneftafl Rules or the group of recently knighted men, but she couldn't
place them. One thing was clear, though, they were not happy. Outraged
would be a better description of their mood, in fact. She knew Leofric
had only one tool for handling the situation, but she also knew that
fighting was not their way out of this.

Squirming

out from behind her out-manned protector, Godgifu smiled and asked,
"Can I help you gentlemen? Was there a matter of utmost importance you
did not get to ask the Queen?" she asked in Danish, trying to keep her
voice steady and light.

The

largest of the blond moving mountains came closer, leaving the others
to form an impenetrable wall around Leofric and Godgifu. He stopped just
a couple paces away from them and scrutinized the tiny woman,
inspecting as one would an animal they intended to buy. He opened his
mouth and a sound like boulders grinding against each other came out of
him. "Havande kvinna?" he growled, nearly shaking with offense.

"What did he say?" Leofric ground out between his teeth.

"Uh;

I'm not sure; his accent is really thick. That, and I think he's
speaking Swedish. Something about a woman?" Godgifu stammered. "Hvad
sagde du?" she asked in Danish, hoping that she would understand more if
he repeated it.

"Havande Kvinna?" he roared, suspicion now entering his outraged inquiry.

"Uh;ja!" Godgifu said impulsively, hoping that was the right answer.

"What did he say?" Leofric asked.

"I don't know;" Godgifu stammered.

"You said 'ja!' That means 'yes.' Why did you say 'yes?'" Leofric gritted, trying to keep an eye on all sides.

"I don't know. When a big scary guy asks you a question, 'yes' is usually the best answer;" Godgifu explained.

Unfortunately,

it appeared that Godgifu's answer did not please the group. Most of
them began yelling at Leofric and pointing to Godgifu, then pounding
their fists into their hands. "Du Kommer Att Gifta Med Henne Nu!" the
closest of them roared.

"Oh!

Oh, I think I know that one!" Godgifu said, then spoke rapidly in
Danish, trying to calm the group. Most of the men looked at Leofric
suspiciously, shaking their heads and beckoning to Godgifu to come with
them.

"Diva, what's going on?" Leofric asked, ready to fight.

Godgifu

continued speaking rapid Danish, making calming gestures with her
hands, but the men would not listen. "Um; Leofric; I think they're upset
that I'm pregnant;"

"But you're not pregnant!"

"I know! I told them! They don't believe me, though; especially after I told them I was pregnant, apparently,"

"Well, what now?" Leofric asked, still trying to keep himself between Godgifu and the nearest Vikings.

"I'm

going with them for a bit. Just do what they tell you;" Godgifu said,
raising her hands and approaching the nearest of the men who lifted her
by the waistband of her pants and glowered at Leofric. "It's going to be
all right. Trust me. Everything's fine. No problem;" Godgifu said
desperately, worried more about Leofric now, than anything else.

Three

days later, Cnut, Emma, Leofric and Godgifu rode the horses along the
road back toward Coventry, an awkward air surrounding them. Finally,
Cnut again breached the silence, "Still not understand;" he muttered,
leaning toward Emma as she rode Godgifu's mare Elsa.

"Well,

they are married now. That's all that matters. As you promised, Leofric
is now Earl of Twywell and Mercia. Godgifu is now an honest woman,
their child will have a name, and all is well."

Leofric

snorted, "God himself couldn't make an honest woman of this one," he
grumbled, pulling Godgifu closer on his lap as he nudged Harold to move
faster.

"I don't see how any of this is my fault," Godgifu muttered.

"But why the Leofric upset? He marry Pindsvin. Nice Viking wedding. Everything fine. No problem;" Cnut said, shrugging.

"Viking weddings are not for everyone, dearest. The English; they are backward in many ways;" Emma said, stroking Cnut's arm.

"I think if anyone's upset, it should be me," Godgifu insisted.

Leofric snorted, "You just had to take a bath to enter the marriage clean of your past; such as it was," he muttered.

"Hey! I also had to use a switch to beat myself and 'overcome my virginity and resistance to my husband!'" Godgifu protested.

Leofric

turned Godgifu in his lap to look down at her, "And I'm sure you went
easy on yourself and it was no more than you deserved for not going back
to Coventry in the first place. It hardly comes close to what I
endured."

"What did the Leofric endured?" Cnut stage-whispered to Emma.

"I don't want to talk about it;" Leofric grumbled.

"I

suspect Earl Leofric of Twywell was discomfited by the Viking tradition
to have witnesses at the consummation of the marriage;" Emma whispered
back to Cnut. "The English are very backward about sex, dearest. Perhaps
he could not perform as he wished;"

"Really; there is no need to re-hash the past," Leofric growled under his breath.

"They

were very understanding about it," Godgifu offered. "They offered
several ideas and suggestions; we should try them out when we get home."

"I Don't Want To Talk About It!" Leofric yelled, earning a reproachful glance from Harold.

"Slikke testikler always work for Cnut; the Emma should write that for the Ragnar" Cnut murmured to Emma.

"Finger in the ass, too;" Emma said nodding in agreement.

Sensing

Leofric was ready to kick Harold into a full gallop to get away from
the discussion, Godgifu changed the topic. "So, since we helped you get
your Queen back and everything fine, no problem; I'm sure that your
gratitude to us will be reflected in a great reduction in Coventry's tax
debt, right Your Highness? Shall we call it even?" Godgifu asked,
smiling cheekily over at Cnut.

Cnut grunted noncommittally.

"I don't understand, Sire; is not the Emma a prize beyond compare?" Godgifu pressed, knowing Cnut could not refute her point.

"Pindsvin

is ruthless monster. Everyone in Mercia think Pindsvin is little sweet
thing; and then she bite," Cnut grumbled, but then softened when he
looked over at his wife. "And yet; the Cnut is grateful."

Emma smirked and leaned over to whisper in Cnut's ear. He snorted, "Pindsvin will never do this," he vowed.

"Let her choose;" Emma said.

Cnut

chuckled and cleared his throat, "Cnut the Great, King of England,
Denmark, Norway and some of Sweden shall forever forgive tax debts of
Coventry, if Countess Pindsvin the Godgifu of Mercia will do one thing!"
he announced loudly to the group.

"I'll do it!" Godgifu yelled, just as Leofric cautiously asked, "Do; what?"

Leofric

shook his head, holding the small bundle of Godgifu's clothes as he led
Harold who now carried Queen Emma down the road into Coventry. Ahead,
he watched the pale skin of his wife's back shine in the sunlight as she
rode Elsa into town toward her home. Villagers that noticed her looked
up in shock, then turned away in recognition, murmuring amongst
themselves.

"Wow; that woman really hates paying her taxes;" Leofric said, almost in admiration.

As

Godgifu approached the steps to her grand house, Sir Hulgar emerged and
stood ready, his face turning a deeper and deeper shade of red. By the
time Godgifu's infamous ride ended, a crowd had formed at the entry of
her house of villagers that looked diligently away from her, but were
also dying to know what was happening.

Leofric

watched anxiously with Cnut and Emma as Godgifu dismounted and climbed
the steps of her home. No one said a word, but the people parted to give
her space to approach the front doors.

Godgifu's

cheeks were burning in humiliation, but stubbornly she continued up
each step. If the people had forgiven her for running around as the
scandalous Lady Godiva before, there was no way the people of Coventry
would overlook her transgression this time. She was completely naked!
You can't pretend someone is the good and virtuous Lady Godgifu when
you've seen them riding down the street naked. She sighed. Maybe she and
Leofric could go live in Twywell;

Ignoring

Sir Hulgar's apoplectic shock, Godgifu turned and faced the crowd, but
she had no idea what to say. What was there to say? Justifications and
arguments are not easily made without the benefit of clothing. She was
just one of them, now.

Godgifu opened her mouth. "I;" she squeaked. Then, she just stood there, unable to say more.

"King

Cnut, Queen Emma and Sir Leofric have brought Lady Godiva to justice at
last!" a voice she recognized the boy Frederic's yelled. "Take her into
custody, Sir Hulgar! Don't let her get away again!"

After

a pause, the villagers looked at each other uncertainly, then began
yelling as well, joining in with Frederic's demands for justice. Thus
bidden, Sir Hulgar quickly bent down and carried Godgifu away into the
house, kicking and screaming like the notorious Lady Godiva would have
done.

Leofric

stifled his laughter with limited success as the people cheered when
the doors to the grand house closed with a loud bang. He looked up to
see Queen Emma's mouth open, her face a mask of confusion. "What; what
just happened?" she asked, completely bewildered.

"It's a little hard to explain;" Leofric chuckled.

"Cnut not get tax money, now. That what happen;" the King grumbled.

"Come

inside and we'll explain the adventures of Lady Godiva," Leofric said,
helping Queen Emma down from Harold as the villagers dispersed. "And
more importantly, the rather stubborn beliefs of the people of
Coventry."

"I'm

writing what really happened," Emma vowed. "I don't care. Everyone
thinks she's this perfect little angel. She's not getting away with this
again;" she said, walking inside on Cnut's arm.

Leofric

lingered in the doorway until almost everyone was gone, waiting for
what he knew was coming. Before long, a small boy approached him,
flipping a coin he had no doubt gotten from getting Leofric out of
trouble in the past. "Good to see you again, Frederic. Has all been well
since I left?"

"Well

enough, Sir Leofric, but very confusing. I am just a boy, after all. I
thought you had caught Lady Godiva earlier and today she turns up in
town again; just when Lady Godgifu was due to return. Very confusing,
sir."

"I

doubt I could make it more clear for you, if I tried, unfortunately.
Perhaps things would be easier to figure if you had a horse to carry you
about? Elsa is pregnant, would you mind taking on the foal as your
own?" Leofric asked.

"That

would be fine with me, sir," Frederic replied, patting Elsa's belly
gently. "Of course, the horse tax will cost me an awful lot, sir;"

Leofric

sighed and shook his head. "You're lucky I just became an Earl,
Frederic," he grumbled, reaching into his pocket for some coins.

"Yes, sir. Well deserved. Congratulations, sir," Frederic said, stroking Elsa's belly as he waited for his ransom.

Based on a post by LingeringAfterthought in 5 parts, for Literotica.


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