Sigefrith engages a second

“Good morning, Sigefrith,” Cenwulf said as the King was announced. “We certainly are unaccustomed to seeing you so early.” He glanced at the window and saw that the horizon was still tinged with pink.

“I couldn’t lie in bed any longer. But I knew you would be awake.”

“I am not certain that Edris is.”

“I shall greet her another time, then. I need you to come with me on an important quest this morning, and I can’t wait any longer.”

“Certainly,” Cenwulf said, mystified. “What does it entail?”

“We are to slay the foul dragon of Raegiming, before sundown I hope, for at my advancing age I can’t bear another sleepless night.”

“In God’s name, what has Leofric done now to get you so upset?”

“Nothing yet. I am only going to beg the hand of his daughter.”

Cenwulf gaped at him for a moment. “For whom?” he sputtered.

“For me!” Sigefrith laughed.

Cenwulf stood and looked at him gravely. “Sigefrith, so soon?”

“You know how Maud was at the end,” he sighed. “It had been some time that she had stopped being my wife and become my child.”

“But surely there is no urgency…”

“Surely not that sort of urgency, if that is what you mean! Otherwise I should save Leofric the trouble and send my head directly to him via messenger.”

“But I mean…”

“The urgency is of the romantic nature, and will render me useless to you and everyone else until I have been assured of her hand. So get your sword and get your horse and let’s be off.”

“But Sigefrith… I had no idea…”

“If you will permit me, as your oldest friend, I should like to observe that you have already proven yourself to be spectacularly incapable of recognizing the evidence of love in others, even when it is turned towards you.”

“Oh, Sigefrith,” he sighed wearily. “Not you too.”

“Who else?”

“Brandt, Matilda, and Alred have all already given me the lecture.”

“Hmm. If you won’t take their word for it, you probably won’t take mine. But I shall have tried. Come along now,” he said, with a peremptory clap of his hands. “Perhaps my plight will prove inspirational. I shan’t rest until I have seen every man in this valley in my condition. That reminds me, you must help me with something else. When next you visit Theobald, keep an eye open for a good woman for Egelric.”

“Egelric already has both of his eyes open for women,” Cenwulf muttered as he strapped on his sword.

“I said a good woman.”

“If you mean a lady, you may have to send farther away for one than Thorhold. Unless you mean for every man in the valley to do as you wish to do and marry a child,” he grumbled. “In that case, young Estrid is still available, and Theobald’s niece Affrais is all of twelve.”

“Eadgith is fifteen—older than my mother when she was married, and if I may submit myself as evidence, I believe that union was very successful. But Estrid isn’t the girl for him. Anyway, she needn’t be a lady, yet. Only ladylike. I mean to knight the poor man if I ever get him tame enough to submit to the procedure.”

“Alred will have broken Apollo before you get a halter on Egelric.”

“Then we shall ask the lady to do it. She may succeed where we ruffians have not. Hurry up! Damn you, what are you looking for in there?”

“Bandages. We may need them.”