by M J Porter
The journey to Worcester was accomplished quickly, and he instructed his wife to be ready to travel again the next morning. He took the time to ensure Ælfgar was settled and that his nephews were available to keep him company. He didn’t know how long he’d been in Northampton and as he’d decided not to foster Ælfgar anytime soon, he thought it best to keep the lad amused. It also helped that his older cousins were becoming incredibly proficient at sword craft under the watchful eye of Olaf.
That pleased him. If war came, and it might, despite the general hatred of such discord within England, Ælfgar would be able to protect himself, no matter how young he was. Leofric wasn’t fool enough to think that all of Ælfgifu’s supporters would welcome war, it had after all been that fear of internal conflict that had kept Æthelred on his throne, but Cnut had, in the minds of many, abandoned England whereas Æthelred never had. If he was to be punished, then war might be needed.
Northampton was little more than a good day’s journey from Worcester, and so they arrived when there was still a hint of light in the sky and quickly made their way to Ælfgifu’s hall. Leofric was pleased to see his reception was far warmer than when he’d visited on Hakon’s orders and he believed that was a real sign of the change that had taken place in their relationship.
Ælfgifu had thought to make a great alliance with him because of her childhood connection to his wife, and also because Cnut had instructed her to do so. But Leofric had been too wary of her, and only when Cnut had finally disregarded him had Leofric appreciated the opportunity that Ælfgifu presented him with.
He had, for a brief flicker of time anyway, toyed with Æthelred’s sons with Emma, but he’d vowed never to have anything to do with the queen again and as such, if he wanted to provide for his family as his father had done so before him, he needed to ensure that Ælfgifu was successful.
Lady Ælfgifu greeted him with shining eyes and an eagerness that had been missing from her for a long time. It gave Leofric pause for thought. He knew that Ælfgifu had never considered herself no longer married to Cnut. When Cnut had last visited, three years ago, he’d instructed her to begin the process of making his older sons their own powerbase. They had been boys who would grow into men who could serve him and to that end they also needed their own allies. What Leofric had never considered, was whether or not Cnut still had a sexual relationship with Ælfgifu.
Watching her now, he couldn’t help but think that he did. It made him grimace with fear. If all Ælfgifu wanted was her lover back, then it seemed that Cnut might well be able to bend her easily to his will. It could be that Cnut could undo much of the work of the previous year just with a charming smile and by bedding his own wife.
“My lord and lady,” Ælfgifu offered almost sweetly and then she lost all pretense of being a fine lady, and took Godgifu away to gossip about what Cnut’s visit might all mean.
Leofric, pleased to be off his horse, took the drinking horn offered to him and went to seek the king’s sons. As he did so, he examined Ælfgifu’s hall and was unsurprised to be hailed by one of her brothers.
He didn’t know either of them that well, but he’d always had a great deal of sympathy for them. Not pity, because despite everything, they’d managed to function well in a society that seemed to be adverse to any form of physical impediment, but like his own father, Ufegat and Wulfhead had lived good lives. Ufegat was a supporter of his sister, and she’d used him as a rallying cry. Wulfhead had lived in the shadows, perhaps embarrassed by his infirmity, or perhaps simply preferring it.
It was Ufegat who spoke to him now, a smile on his sightless face.
“Lord Leofric, my thanks for coming so promptly.”
Leofric nodded and then corrected himself.
“It’s my pleasure to be here. I’m curious to see what the king plans to do.”
“So am I,” he offered ruefully. “He might come to simply claim the boys, and I know that Ælfgifu fears that he’ll take them away now his son and daughter with Emma are out of his reach. Alternatively, he might come to tell Ælfgifu to cease her meddling, or even just because he wishes to spend some time with her.” Ufegat’s smirking laughter reminded Leofric of his earlier thoughts and he realized that he might not have been far from the truth.
“Don’t worry,” the older man said, his sightless face still managing to watch his actions. “The king has so rarely visited I doubt that he comes for sex. I’m sure he could have any woman he wanted. There’d be no need to upset his current wife by coming all this way just for that. No, he comes to try and prevent any more from sheering away from his kingship. He comes to proclaim his sons as his heirs and will probably offer Ælfgifu some small boon so that she’ll be content with her reduced position in our society.”
Leofric watched the man carefully. He was older than Leofric by some years but despite his blindness and the open eye sockets that constantly stared vacuously, he was a good-looking man. He had the build of a churchmen and it was quite unexpected in their society where nearly all men worked with either shield and sword, or hoe and rake, or fire and iron, it was rare to see men looking lose in their physique.
“What will she do?” he pressed but Ufegat shrugged his shoulders.
“It will depend on how Cnut presents himself to her. Should he come as her husband and the father of her children, she’ll listen to him, but if he comes as her king with demands and high-handed mannerisms, he might as well have not bothered to come at all.”
“And the boys. How do they fare?”
Ufegat blew through his cheek at the question, almost as though Leofric had asked an even more difficult question and Leofric suppressed a brief groan. If even Ufegat could tell that the boys were troublesome, even without his sight, then he knew that others would certainly see it too.
The worst part of the alliance with Ælfgifu was the conduct of Ælfgifu and her sons. They were a force to unify behind but their conduct was not what it should be. Ælfgifu was flighty and haughty, while her sons were unruly and caused problems. Often Leofric thought that everyone overlooked these problems, as he did, because they were just determined to have someone to counter the influence of Emma and Earl Godwine.
“The boys won’t be told,” he finally uttered, and in those words Leofric heard his distress at the failure. “They needed more than just their mother and two blind uncles to become better men.”
“You think there’s no hope then? Will they never be good men to rule others?”
“They will be good men only as long as they’re not given free rein. They will need to be watched and monitored. It’s possible their father might be able to give them the belated parenting that they need, but I don’t see it.”
“Huh,” Leofric grunted, realizing that he couldn’t use his usual visible tells when he was speaking to the man.
“Cnut will expect Ælfgifu to have raised his sons for him. He won’t have considered that his absence will have affected them. When he last saw them, before he left for Denmark three years ago, he thought they were well on the way to becoming the heirs he wants them to be, but he failed to take into account how much boys change when they start to grow into the men they will be. Ælfgifu has been too preoccupied with her own worries to spare any extra thought for them.”
“So everyone will be disappointed then?” Leofric grumbled in a low voice and at that Ufegat reached out with his hand and grabbed his arm, feeling the strength there.
“We must make of it what we can. Cnut has behaved toward England with total disregard for her wants and needs. He’s done the same with his first wife and his sons, but there is time yet. He might surprise us all as he did when he first claimed England for himself. Then he was unstoppable, his fierce desire to ensure his own future made him bold and dynamic. I doubt he has that fire anymore, few men our age do, but he must rekindle it if he’s to get through the next few years with his kingdom intact. But yes, you’re probably right, everyone will be disappointed when Cnut comes to visit, Ælfgifu especially.
”
“And the boys?”
“They see Cnut as their king not their father. They will obey any commands he gives them as a king but not as the man who fathered them.”
“I can hardly wait then,” Leofric spoke sarcastically and Ufegat allowed his lips to twitch a little.
“Only time will tell,” he offered and Leofric thought the man was wise beyond his years, perhaps seeing people and their motivations far better, just as Leofwine had done, because of his lack of sight.
“I think I’ll seek my bed,” he finally decided and stood to find his wife. “The king might arrive tomorrow and I’d rather be alert to his every nuance.”
“You would be wise to,” Ufegat offered, not standing from his own chair as Leofric stood to walk away. Leofric watched him pensively for a moment and then realized that his advice was to be heeded. He knew his sister, and also his king, far better than Leofric ever had.
Chapter
25
AD1029
Northampton
Cnut came as an emperor. Leofric groaned as soon as he saw him, reminded of Ufegat’s words the night before. This wasn’t going to go well.
He arrived wearing rich clothes unsuitable for travelling long distances, and that beggared the question where he’d spent the night and how far he’d travelled that day. Leofric doubted it was far, but in that case, who was his ally in the heartland of Ælfgifu’s powerbase? They’d need to find out who was working with Cnut and against Ælfgifu.
He also brought Earl Godwine, and that was a serious miscalculation with Ælfgifu as well as Leofric.
He came in pomp and ceremony, surrounded by over fifty men on horseback, far too many for Ælfgifu to accommodate. Leofric saw Brothor amongst the household troops but he shied away from speaking to him. Instead he waited, almost hidden in the doorway, as Lady Ælfgifu, her two sons and her two brothers flanking her, welcomed Cnut to their home.
Cnut’s expression was unreadable, not even a flicker of delight or a grimace of worry marred it but Leofric still watched him closely as he balanced his imperial crown on his head. He couldn’t decide if he looked dignified in his new crown or not.
Ælfgifu’s face was more expressive and Leofric saw her dismay. Her husband had come in his guise as a ruler, not as a loving father, and certainly not as a husband. It didn’t bode well for the meeting.
Earl Godwine followed the king inside the great hall, his face downcast as he searched into the darkened shadows. Leofric wondered who he looked for, but only briefly. His wife had demanded that she be allowed to stand as one of Ælfgifu’s ladies and so Godwine’s eyes alighted on her very quickly, as though that confirmed Leofric must be there. Still Leofric remained hidden. He didn’t wish to be forced to face his king until he’d determined why the king was visiting.
Quickly, Ælfgifu’s servants scurried around, preparing food and ale, but although Cnut accepted a drink to quench his thirst, he waved aside the food as he sat in the place of honor by the hearth, beckoning his sons to him, but not Ælfgifu.
As Cnut spoke to his boys, Godwine made himself comfortable at one of the many tables and availed himself of both food and drink. Leofric watched some of Cnut’s men come inside as well. They had at least removed their fighting gear and came merely as slightly sweaty, horse-smelling men. Ælfgifu was left standing, a little hopelessly, as events happened around her as opposed to her. She and her brothers made a slightly sad looking spectacle in her own hall.
Godgifu rescued her, an angry glance toward the king for his treatment of the mother of his sons, as she guided Ælfgifu to where the king was sitting, and sat her down and called for food and drink as well. She also ensured that Wulfhead and Ufegat escorted their sister.
Ælfgifu’s servants leapt to serve her and her brothers. There had been an almost endless discussion about what food to serve the king, but Leofric already knew that Ælfgifu wouldn’t now enjoy it. Yet, with Godgifu beside her, and supported by her brothers, Leofric watched her relax a little.
The situation was further helped when her sons turned away from their father as soon as Ælfgifu sat beside them, and included her in their conversation, their uncles as well. Cnut’s face lost its glaze of impartiality at his sons disregard for him, and that amused Leofric.
Cnut had come here intending to be in control of the situation but even with his imperial crown flashing in the firelight, it seemed he wasn’t to get his wish. Leofric had noted the boys lack of respect for their father in their greeting of him and while normally he might have decried their inability to show the correct amount of deference in the formal situation the king had single-handedly created, for once he felt it was well deserved.
With a sharp glance to Godwine, who ignored his beleaguered king, Cnut was forced to finally speak to Ælfgifu if he wasn’t to be ignored by everyone else. He turned, his eyes flashing with a spark of red rage, and tried to draw his sons back into conversation, after only the most cursory of conversations with Ælfgifu. The older son, Swein, seemed prepared to entertain his father, whereas Harald looked angrier than even Cnut and resolutely stood and went to sit between his uncles, speaking to them and assisting Wulfhead, by guiding his hands to where his food was waiting for him.
The uncles were well skilled at aiding themselves but in honor of the king, their usual places beside the hearth had been reshuffled and that made it awkward for both men, a fact that Harald had been very worried about when he first realized. It seemed he was determined that his uncles, and his mother, not be made a fool of before the king.
The dynamic was fascinating, but Leofric could sense that nothing important was going to happen for some time and so slipped from the hall and went to find Brothor. He’d decided the man might be happy to speak to him about events at the king’s court, even if they were, for the time being, on opposite sides of a sharp divide.
He felt eyes on him as he slithered from the hall and knew that Godgifu had watched him go.
Outside the immediate area around the hall was reasonably clear of horses and men and Leofric followed the wave of noise to a more open area, a long-grassed field, where Cnut’s household troops had decided to stable their horses and erect canvas tents for the night. The camp was ordered, as though they were on a military campaign and it didn’t take Leofric long to find Brothor amongst the group of men.
“I thought you might be here,” was the comment he received as soon as he presented himself before the large warrior, his hands filled with a pail of water for his thirsty horse. There was a small river near by but it seemed that the men had decided to bring the water to the horses and not vice versa.
“I hope that’s not a complaint,” Leofric asked simply and turned away to cast his eye over the rest of the men. He was trying to determine if they’d come as a ceremonial accouterment or whether they meant war on the king’s first wife. He could see that they all had weapons, but none of the men were busily sharpening them, or ensuring they were ready for a coming attack. Neither was there a great hubbub of noise that normally preceded a battle. Perhaps they were simply on escort duty.
“The king struggles for good counsel,” Brothor muttered very quietly, and Leofric pretended he’d not spoken so that anyone who watched them closely wouldn’t think they spoke of politics amongst the busy activity of the camp.
“His intentions?”
“To see what he must do to bring Ælfgifu into his inner circle. Emma is extremely unhappy about the situation, but she has no more children to offer her husband. Ælfgifu is actually in the better position, and always has been.”
“She has more to barter with, but the king believes us all traitors.”
“The king believes you’re a traitor because Godwine tells him you’re a traitor. Emma joins her voice to his and that worries everyone, for most know that Emma despises Godwine so why has she changed her allegiance? What has Godwine done to her that she’d step away from her long-time loyalty to the House of Leofwine? Those who know you, Earl Hrani especia
lly, will not speak against you. He makes noises that can be interpreted as agreement or disagreement, depending on who you are and what you want to believe he said.”
“But no one speaks to Cnut about it?” Leofric muttered and Brothor finally turned away from his horse and looked at him. His eyes held a wealth of knowledge and understanding.
“As I said, the king lacks good counsel but he thinks he doesn’t. He believes what he’s told because he wants to. He’s regained his father’s empire, but lost all of his understanding in the wake of events in England. It makes sense to me, but I’ve been in England and Cnut’s been away.”
“Is there news of Harthacnut, and Earl Hakon?” Leofric thought to ask and Brothor, again busy about his tasks was happy to share the news.
“Harthacnut is ruling well with the aid of his aunt, and Earl Hakon is loved by most in Norway and seeks an alliance with Orkney – a marriage, for one of his children to one of the Jarl’s.”
“He already has his eyes on other possessions then?”
“Maybe, but he wants a good alliance with the Jarl of Shetland so that he can travel via that route to England as well. It’ll also upset Malcolm of Scotland. I think that might have more to do with it.”
“Ah, of course,” Leofric offered, “I’d not considered that.” He was thoughtful for a moment.
“Will you tell Cnut of our discussion?” he asked and Brothor chuckled at the necessity of the question.
“I provide good counsel, Sheriff Leofric, remember that,” and he walked away from Leofric, leaving Leofric smirking. He liked Brothor and he appreciated their frank discussion.
With a sigh of frustration, Leofric made his way slowly back toward the hall but at the last moment, decided to redirect himself to Ælfgifu’s orchard instead of walking through the door and back into the strained situation. No doubt events inside the hall were still just this side of polite and provided they remained that way, Leofric didn’t need to get involved.