Leofric groaned inwardly as he watched the slow progress of the specter-like, veiled Lady Godgifu to the seat on a raised dais next to a large embroidery table. The thuds of the enormous staff she carried resounded through the hall with every hobbling step. At her appearance, he heard murmuring throughout the crowd around him and wondered at it. "What's wrong?" he whispered, leaning down to a young woman holding a bundle of cloth.
"Well, look at her! She can barely walk," she replied, gesturing at the old woman, her face etched with concern.
"She doesn't normally walk with a staff, then?"
The young woman shook her head, and craned to see through the crowd. Leofric thought there was something strange about the old widow's walk. She didn't shuffle with small steps and uncertain balance, keeping her feet carefully below her at all times, as was common in the elderly. She also didn't limp unevenly, as if injured on one side, like himself. No, this woman was not old, but injured... and the injury or weakness affected both legs equally. Though it was hard to be certain of it, because of the concealment of her flowing robes and veil, Lady Godgifu's wide-stance gait was quite similar to many new recruits he had seen who found themselves riding a horse for the first time. Interesting.
A guard with a fierce countenance near Lady Godgifu's seat on the dais, seemed on curiously high alert, scanning the friendly crowd as if looking for a hidden assassins or other threats, frequently settling suspiciously on Leofric's large frame. A scribe at a table near the dais took his seat and dipped a feather into his inkpot, and called out, "The Lady Godgifu will hear matters only of the utmost importance first. Please step forward, one at a time, and state your business clearly, and slowly."
To Leofric's surprise, every child in the crowd scrambled forward and surrounded the scribe's desk, all loudly describing their issues to discuss with Lady Godgifu that day. "One at a time! One at a time, I said! How am I to write any of this down? Is this how you listen to directions the monks give you in school?" the scribe complained, until the fearsome guard turned his head toward the babbling group and a deathly hush followed, as they immediately sat down on the floor and raised their hands. "Thank you, Sir Hulgar," the scribe said, then called upon the first child.
The adult crowd around Leofric settled onto benches throughout the room, as the children visited with Lady Godgifu, showing her their various crafts, bruises or scrapes, and telling her stories while she listened and embroidered at the large table. "She embroiders while wearing gloves," he said quietly, but loudly enough for the group of women next to him to hear as they sewed.
"Aye," said one, leaning her head to see Lady Godgifu's slight form pulling a stitch through while a boy showed her how he battled an enormous beast with his stick. "I canna see how she does it, m'self. I'd be throwin' those gloves in the fire before I finished the first stitch," she said, to a murmur of agreement from the other women.
"But, surely, the veil is a difficulty for her, as well. Does she always wear one?" Leofric said, sitting down next to the woman who had spoken.
"Aye, 'tis a shame, too. Such a pretty thing... well, she was once," said an elderly woman, causing a murmur to go through the group of women.
The woman nearest Leofric leaned over to him, "Pay her no mind. Maida fancies she saw her Ladyship here in Coventry as a child, on a visit with her father. 'Course Maida also sees faeries, so..." she muttered.
"She was wee a bonny lass with light blonde hair. Rode her father's shoulders and sang a drinking song, of all things..." Maida said, looking up from her embroidery as if seeing the past a few feet away from her.
Blonde... Leofric looked back up at the small figure embroidering on the dais, seeing her head shift quickly away from him as he did, and a suspicion began to form in his mind. He couldn't be sure, yet, but the very thought of it began tugging at the corner of his mouth. Soon, his belly began shaking and he struggled to remain silent.
At length, his resolve failed and a snort of laughter escaped him and the diminutive veiled woman surrounded by children looked up at him suddenly in alarm, and he knew he had stumbled on the truth. He knew it in his bones. He quickly stood and strode from the room, barely making his escape before bursting into gales of loud laughter that rang throughout the entrance hall and echoed back into the room filled with townspeople.
Tears rolled down Leofric's face and he wiped them away, breathing deeply, trying to control his laughter, but long years at war had not given him practice either in laughter or in stopping it and he helplessly fell into its spasms again and again. Lady Godgifu... the veiled and pious widow, the living saint of the town, sneaking around as a woman whose name he dare not speak in polite company.
When he regained control of himself, Leofric returned to the gathering and leaned against the back wall, his shining eyes fixed on the Lady Godgifu, remembering the sight of her floating naked in the water, running her wet fingers over his body, her sitting astride him in the sunlight and impaling herself on his cock. He only broke from his reverie when the children were dismissed and the scribe spoke briefly with Lady Godgifu.
"Her Ladyship will now hear matters that concern His Highness King Cnut," the scribe announced, once he had seated himself again. At this announcement, Leofric smiled down at his boots, feeling every eye in the hall turn to him, but he said nothing and did nothing. After an uncomfortable silence, the scribe cleared his throat, "Um... any other matters?" It seemed that no adult in the room had any business of import, and all eyes turned again to Leofric's tall silent frame against the wall, only now he was looking steadily at the Lady Godgifu with a smirk on his face.
Leofric slowly stepped forward and stood before the dais, the entire room silent and transfixed. Godgifu had stopped embroidering mid-stitch, her veil flickering outward with each rapid breath. Sensing the tension, indeed, every eye in the room volleyed quickly between the two. "My Lady, I am Sir Leofric, Ealdorman of Twywell," Leofric said, bowing low. Rising, he made sure he held her veiled eyes with his before speaking, "My Lady, would you be so kind as to grant me an audience with you, in private?" he asked.
"Yes," the small woman quietly replied, and standing quickly, at the same time as Sir Hulgar barked "No," putting his hand on his sword, and placing his body between the two.
"Sir Hulgar..." Lady Godgifu began, after clearing her throat quietly.
"Your Ladyship, this man is unknown to us, but merely that he was mentioned in a letter from the King. I'll not have him going about town making claims of privileges promised while in private intercourse with you," Sir Hulgar growled, staring down Leofric.
At Sir Hugar's words, Lady Godgifu made a choking sound and started coughing desperately. As Sir Hulgar turned to see that she was all right, Leofric took a knee, tucking his chin down to his chest, and biting the insides of his cheeks to keep from laughing again.
When she was breathing easily again, Lady Godgifu took up the large staff and looked up at her glowering guardian. Leofric waited until saw the small figure square her shoulders before he spoke, "My Lady, I beg you would not speak too harshly to your servant on my account, nor beat him about the shins and ankles with yon staff, for you see, he is absolutely right. I would most delightedly claim any and all honors and privileges due me, should our "private intercourse" prove... fertile."
At these words, Lady Godifru inexplicably fumbled with her hands and the sound of the staff clattering to the floor was deafening as it echoed throughout the hall, and Leofric tucked his chin into his chest, again trying to stifle his laughter. Sir Hulgar retrieved the staff and appeared as if he would like nothing more than to knock Leofric's head off his shoulders with it, but Lady Godgifu silently pointed toward the corner where Sir Hulgar had originally stood with a vehemence that surprised him. The guard went to his corner and stood gripping the staff, whilst staring daggers at Leofric.
"But, My Lady, I assure you, such was not the purpose of my request for privacy," Leofric continued, after he had control of his voice. "For, though I have been charged with persuading Your Ladyship into a more agreeable discourse with His Highness the King, I am but a man of simple words, unaccustomed to addressing so fine an assembly," he said, gesturing behind him to the townsfolk and bowing graciously to them.
Turning back, he continued, "I do not say these words to curry favor, for I know I deserve none from such fine folk. For, indeed, I have traveled far in service as a knight, but I have not seen a place where such pride is taken in its care. The streets are clean, the people are healthy and fed, and the children are..." Leofric paused, his throat tightening at the memory of the children he had seen at war, "They are children... which is no more and no less than what they should be... precious, clever, and safe."
"I have also come to beg your Ladyship's pardon. When last we met, you asked me to spend my life with you... to choose to be happy here, but like a tired horse with blinders on, I spoke only of my plodding duty." The hall filled with scandalized whispers at the disclosure of a secret meeting between the two, and Leofric bowed his head again to hide his smirk when Lady Godgifu's gloved hands clenched each other nervously. This was far more fun than he had ever had at court.
At length, he raised his head and continued, "If only I had seen the haven to which you were inviting me, I fancy that I would not have been such a fool. I had thought to come here to advise you, to chastise you, even to threaten you into obedience to the King, if necessary. I see all that as vanity, now. You, Lady, have proven a most faithful steward of the blessings entrusted to you."
"And so, I come before you today, chastised and humble, as I should be. I will not lie. Currently, I find myself deep in tax debt, without a pound to my name, and only by the grace of your townsfolk, am I even clothed. Even so, I come to ask more of your kindness and forbearance. I ask your Ladyship's leave to set up residence in this fine town, as I serve your people and settle accounts with them. They deserve no less. And at the end of that time, if I have found favor in your eyes, I would ask another chance to answer your question... that I might be allowed to amend my first foolish answer and enjoy the rest of the days allowed to me by your Ladyship's side, and have both the duties and the honor of being your husband." Now, squeals and sighs of delight erupted from where the ladies sewed, and outraged grumbling from the men, some taking positions at the doorways, and others flanking Leofric as if to take him into custody upon command.
