The King's Brother: England:The Second Viking Age (The Earls of Mercia Book 11) by MJ Porter

Author:MJ Porter [Porter, MJ]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781914332142
Publisher: MJ Publishing
Published: 2023-06-14T16:00:00+00:00

21

LEOFRIC

‘My lord king,’ he bowed low to the king and caught sight of Edward’s fingers encouraging him to stand upright. King Edward had summoned Leofric to his private room. This was to be a discussion between them and no one else; whether that was a good development remained to be seen.

‘Lord Leofric,’ the king began. He was dressed in a simple tunic and trews. They lacked almost all decoration, but the quality of the fabric was hard to deny. And indeed, the nearly purple colour was also a sign of the king’s great wealth. ‘You’ve aided me in the past, with King Harthacnut, with my lady mother, and now, it seems, I must call on you once more to resolve this issue with Lord Sweyn. I would welcome your frank and reasoned words. I know your father was known for his honesty even when it won him no favours from his kings.’

‘I’ll do my best,’ Leofric offered, a slight smile on his lips. King Edward would have no memory of his father’s altercations with kings. Or at least, he assumed he didn’t. Still, Ealdorman Leofwine’s reputation was lauded by those looking for the ideal of what it was to be a statesman and a loyal Englishman.

‘I’m sure you will. And no doubt, you’ll ensure that your arguments lack any bias against Lord Sweyn and his father.’

Here Leofric grinned wider at the king’s wry tone.

‘I’ll do my best, as I said,’ Leofric reiterated.

‘Then we’ll sit and talk. Come, make yourself comfortable.’ While the king had a desk in his private room, there was also a setting of two wooden-backed chairs before a small brazier. It wasn’t truly cold, but beneath the rafters of the far-distant roof, there was the odd breeze that the heavy tapestries on the walls failed to counter.

Leofric settled himself and eyed the king. He would give his opinion when requested. But, he was very much against Lord Sweyn and his father. He couldn’t deny that.

‘Now, I believe that my wife is currently speaking to your wife about this unfortunate matter of Abbess Eadgifu. The woman has determined to cleave to Lord Sweyn, and I don’t believe I’m alone in having my suspicions as to why. But it’s Lord Sweyn who vexes me. The punishment for his crime is explicit.’

‘Yes, he must pay her wergild to her,’ Leofric spoke quickly. He wanted the king to know he’d taken the time to learn the legalities of the case.

‘If it were as simple as she was a maiden, and he taking her against her will, then yes, it would be her wergild. For a maiden, it would depend on her status as to how much the wergild would be,’ King Edward mused. Leofric nodded his agreement. The king had also checked the currently operating law codes, or rather one of his clerics had.

‘But she’s not just a maiden. She’s an abbess,’ Leofric said, following what the king must be thinking.

‘And I don’t believe there’s a law against the volition of an abbess.

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