Sigefrith has a visitor

Sigefrith hurried into the hall, rubbing his hands together briskly as he went – partly from the cold and partly from the excitement. 

From the height of the scaffolding where he had been standing with Egelric, he had seen a black-​​kilted man ride in on a black horse whose nose was surely uglier than any horse’s nose had a right to be, if Sigefrith knew the breed.

It remained only to be seen which of the similarly accursed members of the Scots race had been on his back. Colban had sent word that he would probably not be able to pay a visit this year, for his people too had suffered from the drought. And so – could it be Malcolm?

The hall was still empty when he reached it, but for a few lounging servants who quickly eclipsed themselves, and a pair of guards who jumped up to stand before the doors with an extra air of self-​​importance to hide their sheepishness.

Sigefrith winked at them and pretended to snarl, and then went to pace before the fire. If it were Malcolm riding into the court in broad daylight, then at last the world could be told that he lived, and there would be much rejoicing…

But it wasn’t Malcolm.

“Aengus!” Sigefrith cried. Not Malcolm, but a friend.

“Your Majesty!” Aengus said with an exaggerated bow and then a laugh. “By God, Sigefrith, how have you managed to convince all of these hundreds of people that you are a king?”

“It is simply that no one has yet convinced them of the contrary! What are you doing here, meatwit? Come alone? Where’s Gog?”

“Colban is busy with his own affairs, but he sends a letter via my saddlebag, and his regrets via my own self. Where’s your Alred?”

“Alred! I’ve not had the time to say three words to you and you’re already asking after Alred?”

“And I’d not said three words to you and you were already asking after Colban. Where’s my cousin?”

“Your cousin is on his way in. We spotted you from the tower we’re building out behind. Did you see?”

“I saw the tower. Sigefrith, this is quite the castle you have here. By God, the Normans haven’t one like it in all of Northumbria. Now I know where to come when I need a place of refuge!”

“Whenever Gog gets tired of your antics, you’ve only to show up here and I shall know where to put you!”

“Would you, Sigefrith?” Aengus asked gravely.

“Would I?” Sigefrith laughed. “Only as long as you don’t come in begging for Alred. Damn! I could use a few knights like you, though I should ask you to lose the skirt.”

“Alred would let me keep the skirt.”

“Alred likes anything in a skirt.”

“Aengus!” Egelric cried as he came in. “The devil!”

“Which is it?” Aengus laughed.

“The devil!” Egelric decided.

“His own self!” Aengus agreed as Egelric embraced him. “Look at you, though! Don’t you look tame in your pants! When do you mean to let your hair grow and put on a kilt and start looking like man?”

“Did you notice the contradiction in what you just said?” Sigefrith asked.

“Are you trying to tell me I look like a woman? I’ve a sword here what says I don’t,” Aengus said, patting the pommel thereof.

“You call that a sword?” Sigefrith scoffed. “Around here, we use such implements for cleaning fish. I’ve a knight whose sword is so long, one has to challenge him a week in advance just to give him time to draw it!”

“That’s a shame, then, for I should have liked to have seen it, but I can’t stay a week.”

“You can’t?” Sigefrith wailed. “All this way for so short a visit?”

“I only came to deliver that letter. I’ve affairs of my own calling me home.”

“Well – I hope you will return for my wedding, at least. Oh! And tell Gog he had better be here as well. Damn! I’ve been meaning to write to him.”

“Your wedding!”

“To the sweetest little maiden that ever a cranky old dragon has captured,” Sigefrith said fondly. “I hope you will stay at least until supper, and meet her.”

“I might stay a few days. And I shall come to your wedding if I may. When will it be?”

“Midsummer.”

“Oh! Colban will be here for that anyway. Isn’t he coming in June to get his godson?”

“Oh, that’s so…” Sigefrith murmured, suddenly deflated. He hadn’t forgotten, exactly… but it was hard to wish that June would not soon come if it also meant putting off the date of his wedding. If only he could be married at once, and enjoy a few months of unalloyed happiness before his little Cubby would be taken away!

“Where’s your lord, young squire?” Aengus was asking Egelric.

“At home,” Egelric said. “It’s only a quarter hour’s trot if you would like to see him.”

“Oh, no!” Sigefrith said. “We shall simply summon him here. Just who are you here to see, meatwit?”

“All of you!” Aengus said. “But, by God, Alred is the most amusing man I’ve ever met. He had old Aed laughing until the tears were running into his beard.”

“I would wager that was the first time in twenty years the ratty old thing had been washed!” Sigefrith laughed.