The King's Earl by M J Porter

Author:M J Porter [Porter, M J]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2015-09-24T22:00:00+00:00

Chapter 12

Leofric

Easter AD1020

Cirencester

He sat beside his father, at the front of the church, waiting for the king to appear. He’d been pondering his father’s reaction to Earl Godwine’s entreaties earlier, and he’d felt unbalanced when he’d discovered his father speaking to one of the very men Godwine was wary of. He was pleased his father hadn’t made him talk to the man. He was unsure if he’d have managed to keep the suspicions Godwine had spun from his conversation.

Once more, he was reminded of his father’s skill with men and kings. For nearly thirty years he’d woven a path through treachery, ill feelings and the death of men who’d been his allies. While Leofric knew he wanted the power his father held, he found the skill set he needed to acquire daunting.

Not that he blamed his father for his late lessons in life. It had always been Northman who’d been slated to be the son who succeeded his father. Even when he’d been linked with Eadric, Leofric had known that Northman would be ealdorman in their father’s place.

He’d been to the Witan with his father, and he’d attended meetings, but he’d never paid quite as much attention as he now realised he should have done, content to know the Witan wasn’t going to be his destination in life. It seemed that nothing in life was as assured as he’d once thought. The old king and his swarm of older sons had all failed in their efforts to keep the kingdom in the family line, and although the younger sons were still alive, sheltered in Normandy, who knew what life had in store for them.

Even though Cnut appeared hale and hearty, in the prime of his life, sons aplenty from two different wives, and two kingdoms as well, Leofric now realised that anything could upset his careful plans. Even the dismal failure of Æthelweard’s rebellion was due to the English shying away from more conflict, rather than because of the skills of Cnut. If the English hadn’t been so battle weary, Cnut might not be his king, but Eadwig might be. The thought of so much uncertainty unnerved him.

“Thorkell was well?” he asked his father, trying to censure his unease from his voice.

“Quite, he seemed to be ruffled by his time as regent and worried that the king would recant on his decision to outlaw Æthelweard.”

“He won’t will he?” Leofric was outraged. The earl had made the wrong decision when he’d tried to ally with Eadwig, and he needed to be punished for making the mistake twice.

“No, he won’t. He can’t. Everyone already knows that Æthelweard is to be outlawed, that’s what this whole meeting is for. Thorkell is worrying for worrying’s sake. The king knows his duty, and he has no plans to kill Æthelweard, he’s assured me as such, and so it must be outlaw.”

“Good, I wouldn’t want him to retain his position. Not after everything, that’s happened.”

“I agree Leofric,” his father quietly said.

By then the king had made

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