One Night in Camelot

[Sophia de la Cerda]

Eleanora loved Johan's gentleness. This time, their joining seemed more intimate and not as urgent as it had been before. There were many different ways to make love, it seemed to her, and she wondered if she would every experience them all. The love in his eyes shone upon her like the light of the sun, and when he kissed her, she sighed against his lips, enjoying the slowness of it.

 

She gasped as he thrust into her deeply and bright little thrills shimmered through her body. Raising her hips, she drew him in further, her inner muscles contracting around him. She felt his fingers brush against her little pearl and she moaned softly, trembling in bliss. Somehow, she felt his presence inside her more profoundly and each small movement was like a revelation. Instead of closing her eyes, she continued to look at him. Myriad emotions played across her face as the pressure became nearly unbearable.

 

Her pearl throbbed as he teased it, sending little sparks of bliss straight to her brain. Without any warning, an exquisite wave of pleasure washed over her, surprisingly strong considering her weak state. She moaned his name and writhed beneath him as euphoria consumed her mind, body, and soul. Her back arched and her fingernails scraped gently against his back. This orgasm, while not as intense, lasted longer and was every bit as exciting.

[Guest]

Johan watched her, a smile on his lips as she looked at him squirmed and writhed beneath him. As he moved deep within her, savoring the slower, more exquisite feelings, he would sometimes close his eyes or let out a gentle gasp in discovery of new pleasures and sensations. With every little movement and thrust his face shifted, and sometimes his eyes even closed in an intense moment.

 

But mostly he looked straight into her eyes. His blue eyes to hers, filled with the same love, the same passion. Staring into each other.

 

He cradled her as she scraped his back and, as the first wave seemed to subside, gently shifted to be beside her. He gently slid out of her and cupped her cheek, still gazing lovingly. He kissed her, slowly and gently. And then he nuzzled into her, wrapping the sheets around them and then his arms around her. “That was good.” He said languidly.

 

He wasn't tired, though. He smiled and gently brushed that beautiful silvery hair of hers, “F-f-feeling better?” His smile shifted into a knowing grin.

[Sophia de la Cerda]

Although she usually closed her eyes when she was in the throes of pleasure, this time Eleanora kept her gaze on his face, watching his expression change as he, too, was overcome by bliss. It was a sweet release this time and as the glorious sensations began to subside, she continued to look into his eyes, a satisfied smile turning up the corners of her lips.

 

He slipped out of her and moved beside her. She was exhausted again but his gentle kiss seemed to breathe a bit of strength into her. As he pulled the sheets over them and wrapped his arms around her, she nestled against him, resting her head against his shoulder. “It is always good, is it not?” she teased. It always was for her, but then he had more experience. Eleanora had never known the touch of another man and wanted it to stay that way. He had spoiled her, and no other man could ever compare to him. No other love could be as strong as theirs.

 

“Much better,” she replied, “Just tired and hungry again.” As if in agreement, her stomach rumbled and she blushed. “I am glad you made some food for us.” Eleanora was too weary to reach for the tray of food. Hopefully, he would move it closer so she would not have to expend too much energy while her strength was at its lowest. She didn't want to worry him by fainting yet again.

[Guest]

“Yes,” Johan smiled, “Always.” He kissed her. It was becoming better as she gained more experience, and as they became closer to each other, but even their first time had been good.

 

Her stomach rumbled and she blushed. Johan let out a sharp laugh and kissed her briefly, “You’re always… c-c-cute too.” Johan said, “But you’re particularly cute now.” He shifted her slightly into a more upright position, they’d slid a bit further down. He came up with her, so they were sitting side by side, his arms still around her.

 

His arms came up, one still around her shoulders. The other reached out and picked up the tray. Balancing it carefully he brought it over to her lap. The fare was simple. Some simple bread and cakes, not the sweet kind but simply something that baked quickly over the stove, and a variety of small, thin chunks of meat. It was hardy fare, a bit on the bland side, but that was what Johan thought weak people should be fed.

 

Besides, Johan was not a great cook.

 

He picked up one of those chunks and brought it to her lips with a smile. “Then eat and rest. I w-w-will tend to you.” He enjoyed the opportunity to take care of her, and knew she would eagerly repay him a thousand times. As he looked at her, he was briefly caught in a reverie, staring before he realized he was staring. He broke it with a smile and his hand still resting on her squeezed gently.

[Sophia de la Cerda]

Eleanora's blush deepened when he called her cute. Children were cute. Puppies were cute. She had never thought of herself that way before, but if he thought she was cute when her stomach rumbled, then she would try not to be so embarrassed about it. All she wanted to do was please him, and Saxons had different ideals than her own people. And it was interesting to be thought of as cute. Maybe her size had something to do with his perception as well. Every adult (and some children) she had seen in his holdings were taller than her.

 

He pulled her to a sitting position and picked up the tray, setting it in her lap. Her stomach rumbled again. It could have been barely edible and she still would have thought it delicious. As it was, the piece of meat he fed to her was quite tasty, if a bit bland. There were probably no spices in the cabin to season it with.

 

He did love to take care of her. Eleanora still found it odd that he was tending to her when she thought she would mostly be tending to him. And perhaps that was how it would be once she adjusted to her magic and her new life. Now she was happy for him to attend to her in her weakened state. It would make him feel less guilty when she assisted him in the future. They both needed each other. She would not let her magic exhaust her again, though. The next time, she would pay attention to the energy she was expending and build it up slowly, as Johan had probably done when he was learning to control his own magic.

 

She noticed him staring at her and smiled, picking up another piece of meat and lifting it to his lips. “This is quite good. I didn't know you could cook. I thought lords had servants to prepare their meals for them.” She doubted her grandfather knew how to boil water. And neither did she. “Will you teach me? Is is unusual for Saxon noblewomen to cook for their husbands?”

[Guest]

Johan smiled as she blushed deeply. He had meant it well, and she didn’t need to fear he would treat her like a puppy or a child. She was his Eleanora, and he found everything about her charming. Her blush, not her stomach, was what had captured him. It made him want to take her in his arms, to kiss her and tell her he loved her over and over.

 

At the moment, Eleanora was pursued by a vengeful grandfather and faced with uncontrolled magic all while trying to integrate into a new culture and learning the pleasures of love and sex. Her life was practically a whirlwind. She was simply in greater need and Johan was quite happy to let her lean on him. Eleanora would have a lifetime to pay him back, and he knew she would, with the sweetness and love she had so thoroughly showed. He was staring at her when she smiled and a small shiver ran down his spine. She was so very dear.

 

“I c-c-can’t really.” Johan said. “I c-c-can teach you what I know, but my… chef would know more.” Johan had picked up such skills on campaign. Women sometimes followed the armies and cooked and cleaned, and some lords did bring personal chefs. Johan made do with what the army had, which meant sometimes he made his own meals. Simple though they were.

 

“I d-d-don’t think it’s right to b-b-bring my chef on campaign.” Johan explained. Some Saxon women followed their husbands and cared for them even at war, but Johan hadn’t had anyone like that. “It’s n-n-not unusual. A Saxon wife is supposed… to t-t-take care of everything related to the home for her… husband. To dress him, feed him, m-m-make sure his estate runs profitably and is safe. Though I have a staffed k-k-kitchen you’d be expected to… run.”

 

For the moment, Eleanora was just a mistress, though. She’d have time to learn.

 

He took the meat in his mouth but held her hand there for a moment. After he'd swallowed he kissed her palm, then the pad of each of her fingers.

[Sophia de la Cerda]

Eleanora loved snuggling next to him beneath the warm blankets. She was acutely aware of every inch of his nude body pressed against her, and she reveled in his closeness. There was nowhere she would rather be. In a castle, a field, a wagon, or a cabin, she was perfectly happy as long as she was with him. Maybe she would eventually lose her fear of water if he helped her to overcome it, not with magic but with love. Her love for him was intense it was fairly bursting out of her. Nobody had ever touched her heart the way he had and she was his forever. They would prevail against her grandfather and live happily ever after, raising a large family and growing old together.

 

A frown played across her features when he mentioned cooking while on campaign. He had gone to war, but she hoped he didn't go again. Did Saxons fight against each other or did invaders try to take their lands? Eleanora could not bear the thought of him going away to fight and leaving her behind to wonder if he was all right. That would be the worst kind of torture for her, to not know if he was well, or injured, or even dead. There was such a strong connection between them that she thought she would know if he passed from this world. Life would be so bleak without him, even if she had his children to raise.

 

No, she would not think of that now. She needed to think positively to regain her strength. They couldn't stay here all day. The nobles who attended him would think something was wrong if he stayed away from his castle too long. They might even think that she had harmed him. It would be foolish of them to trust her now. She had only been introduced to them a short time ago and all they knew about her was that she had captivated their lord.

 

“Don't worry about your household. I have been taught how to manage a castle. My grandfather intended to marry me to a King.” Eleanora grinned. “You will be in good hands. I may have to learn to do things a bit differently, but I can do that before we are married, if your sister will allow me to follow her around and observe.”

 

He took the meat from her fingers, but did not release her hand. Desire flared to life inside her again when he kissed her palm and each of her fingers in turn. Turning her head, Eleanora kissed him lightly and then picked up a piece of bread. After she had washed it down with a gulp of water, she gazed up at him. "I would love to learn to cook for you if your chef is willing to teach me.”

 

After consuming another piece of meat, that niggling fear returned. “You will not be going to war again, will you? I don't think I could bear not knowing what is happening and worrying about you constantly. I love you too much to even think of losing you.”

[Guest]

There might be some worry, but Johan often disappeared for long periods of time. He was usually alone, though, and Eleanora was right his men had no reason to trust her. They had no reason to distrust her either, though they had every reason to presume her motives were mercenary.

 

Johan smiled as she kissed him. He leaned forward as she drew away, stealing every moment he could out of the kiss. He gently reached out hand running along the back of her neck. Even in this mundane thing, a meal shared in bed, he found her hopelessly attractive. My goddess, He thought again. My love, my heart. He felt warmer at her closeness, and it was not just the gentle heat of her skin or the softness of her skin against his. The heat of her love seemed to warm him from the very depths of his own heart.

 

He nodded to her plans. He doubted his sister would object to her running around and learning from the staff and, when they married, she would have command of them. But more important than her specific skills was her determination to learn whatever she needed, to be useful and helpful to him. Eleanora would be his comfort, his support, and his refuge, and he would love her all the more for it.

 

But Johan turned serious when she asked about whether war would come, “W-w-war is coming to Britain. King Arthur is… old and Mordred is rebellious. Half the Round Table is gone. Gawain, Gareth, Galahad, and Gaheris are dead. Tristan has disappeared, and some say Merlin has… as well. Bedivere is crippled. And our King wishes to avenge his fuh-father’s death at Arthur’s hands and conquer Britain.” Hopefully it would be short and his side would be victorious, but Britain was a violent, unpredictable place.

 

And before that, there was her grandfather to fight. If he was not obliging enough to die quietly Johan might have to take a war to him. But Johan was a Saxon. He was not above treachery, especially against outsiders. So perhaps there would be no battles.

 

But all that was in the future. He began to speak but stopped himself. There was more to that future too, but he didn’t know whether that would assuage or worry her. Johan was not human anymore, not really, and that had bearing on his death.

 

“So yes, I w-w-will fight again. Even if we w-w-win both those wars, that’s not a guarantee of peace.” And Johan simply wasn’t the sort to abandon his responsibilities, at least not in the long term. He smiled wanly at her. She would not be the first woman to bid her love farewell or to fear losing him on some uncaring battlefield. But she would be the first to feel such fear over Johan.

[Sophia de la Cerda]

A cold shiver ran down her spine when Johan admitted that there would be more war. Eleanora did not understand politics, and as she was from a foreign kingdom, knew very little about what was happening in Britain. She had always thought of King Arthur as a benevolent ruler, but what would happen when he was gone? Would his son rule wisely or would he lead his kingdom into chaos? All she knew about the Round Table was that it was comprised of knights, who were, according to Johan, mostly dead. Merlin was rumored to be a powerful wizard, but she didn't know whether or not that was true. He might just be an ordinary man who could perform a bit of illusory prestidigitation. Or maybe he was missing because his magic was so strong that it had consumed him.

 

What bothered her most was that the Saxon King wanted revenge and to conquer Britain himself. Johan would be required to go with him, she was quite certain. And he confirmed it as he continued to speak. He seemed to believe there would be other wars in the future as well. Eleanora wanted to beg him not to go, but she knew that it was his duty and that he most likely considered it an honor to fight with his King. If she protested, he would worry about her and that would hinder his concentration on the battlefield. She would have to stoically accept the fact that he would have to leave eventually, like she imagined a Saxon wife would.

 

Or did Saxon women fight alongside the men? She had heard that rumor along with others that had proved to be untrue, Even if they did, she didn't think she would be able to kill another human being. Even killing a flower had made her cry. She had not been raised to fight, although she would defend Johan from her grandfather if she could, and from anyone else who tried to harm him. Eleanora was fiercely protective over the man she dearly loved.

 

“I will worry for you,” she said again. Her appetite had disappeared. “I wish I could go with you, but I would only be a distraction. And I will not be alone. I can share my concerns with the wives of the men who go with you. I will be fine.” She kissed him again. “And so will you. We didn't find each other to be parted so soon.”

 

Eleanora took another sip of water. “Do you use magic during war?” She hoped he did, for his magic would be able to protect him better than a common sword.

[Guest]

King Arthur ruled a kingdom divided between several peoples warring for control and full of independent minded, sometimes rebellious lords. The fact he had brought peace and managed to keep these powers mostly balanced was his great success and it had taken many years and lives to forge it. But all successful kings fought a battle against age. It was a battle they always lost in the end.

 

But there was still time. For the moment, his enemies still gathered strength, waiting for weakness. Even if his death would cause chaos, he could still live for decades. If Mordred rebelled that might bring an end to the peace quickly, but until then the only war was the occasional minor rebellion. Which was no doubt what Johan would be considered if her grandfather managed to gain the King’s support.

 

Some Saxon women did fight alongside men. Many more followed their men to war and helped them with the other tasks, healing, drawing water, pitching tents, that sort of thing. These only fought if the camp was attacked. And many stayed at home, though even they were expected to fight if their homes were attacked. Eleanora would be handed a sword when they married and one of her marriage oaths would be to defend Johan and his children.

 

“You c-c-could come and… help me. Even if you d-d-don’t want to fight, some women stay in camp and heal, c-c-cook, pitch tents, that sort of thing.” It wasn’t comfortable, it was hard work and if the camp was attacked she would be expected to defend it, but they would be together. He smiled and leaned into her kiss, “I d-d-don’t need an answer. You will need to come with me… for your grandfather.” And she would see what that was like. After that, she could choose.

 

“Sometimes, sparingly.” Johan said. It wasn’t the main way he fought though. Actually, Johan did very little if any personal fighting. Mostly he led his men and advised his superiors if there were any. He was respected enough as the leader of a warband but he was not great warrior, or even a passable one.

 

There was a pause, “Eleanora…” His hand wandered to hers and gently grasped it. Before she had seemed… if not amorous, at least comfortable. Pressed against him, happy. Now she seemed to have clammed up just slightly. He wasn’t afraid she was withdrawing from him in any conscious way, that she regretted her choice. She knew she loved him as deeply as he loved her. But he felt she was hiding her concern. “You can be honest, you know. If it bothers you.”

[Sophia de la Cerda]

Helping to heal the injured appealed to Eleanora. Maybe she would have full control of her magic and know some healing spells by the time Johan went to war. She had not known that wives went along with their husbands to cook and set up camp, but it made sense. Although she had no idea how to do either, she could learn. And then she wouldn't worry so much, for he would return to her every evening.

 

If they had children, though, her place would be with them unless she could find someone she trusted to take care of them. Would that be fair to them, though? If both she and Johan perished, her children would be orphans, and if their eldest son was not old enough to take his father's place, they could be killed by a ruthless man who coveted Johan's position. He would have control of her kingdom as well. That thought did not sit well with her.

 

First, though, they would have to deal with her grandfather and that would be her first taste of battle. He could not be allowed to live or her kingdom would be taken from her, and she knew that he would not be content with settling matters peacefully even if Johan offered him acceptable terms. He was a man of violence and had always used force to achieve his goals. He would not relinquish her without a fight.

 

Eleanora had already asked Johan to teach her to use a sword. She wanted to be able to defend herself and Johan, and if she did go to war with him, she would need to be able to fight if the camp was attacked, either with a weapon, her magic, or both. It was not a decision to be taken lightly, and she was glad that he didn't expect an answer now.

 

She was a bit disappointed that he only used his magic sparingly, but she understood that as long as magic was illegal and mages were considered evil, it was too risky. Hopefully, he would use it to save himself if he was ever put into a position where he could not win any other way. She knew she would use hers to protect herself, him, and their children if the need arose.

 

When he took her hand, her thoughts returned to the present. He had noticed that her mood had become more somber, which didn't surprise her. Johan could read her emotions as easily as he could read a book.

 

“I'm sorry,” she said, squeezing his hand. “I could say that the notion of war doesn't bother me, but I would never lie to you. It terrifies me to think that I could lose you, to war, or illness, or accident. None of those things can be prevented, but it is war that scares me the most because so many men die or are maimed for life.” She snuggled close against him. “I want to protect you as much as you want to protect me. To think of you in the midst of battle ...” Her voice trailed off and she shivered. “It is difficult to bear.”

[Guest]

Johan shifted and wrapped around her, pulling her into his chest, “That too is a kind of strength.” Johan believed that Eleanora would be strong enough to bear that and, if he died, strong enough to carry on for their children. He was also determined to never put her in that situation if he could help it. He squeezed her tightly, gripping her with all the intensity he felt for her. He never wanted to let her go.

 

After what seemed like an eternity he slackened just slightly and looked into her eyes, those bright, beautiful blues that he would spend an eternity staring into if he could. “Let us banish such evil…” Johan trailed off before he could finish. His ears almost seemed to perk.

 

“Do you hear that?” There was the faint sound of hooves in the distance. Johan seemed worried but smiled, “It’s p-p-probably nothing. Just someone come to… check on me.” Johan assured her, though he knew disturbing him like this was unusual.

 

Johan shifted to get out of bed, quickly shimmying into his pants and loosely tying them on. He trusted Eleanora to put on the armband and pull up the covers. Johan retrieved a long knife and sat back on the side of the bed, looking at the door. He wasn’t much of a warrior but if it was someone come to drag her away…

 

The hooves got louder. It wasn’t just one person, it was at least a dozen, producing a thunderous roar. “It’s fine, really.” Johan seemed to be convincing himself as much as Eleanora. His hand flexed around the dagger.

[Sophia de la Cerda]

His arms wrapped tightly around her were comforting. Eleanora didn't think she was strong at all, and didn't know if she would be able to survive without him if he should die before she did. She hoped she died first so that she wouldn't have to live without him, but then he would be left to mourn for her the rest of his days. Their connection was so strong that she didn't think either of them would find love again if death took one of them. Perhaps it would be better for them to die in battle together.

 

Her morbid thoughts gradually faded as he held her close. Nothing would happen to them. They had many years of happiness ahead of them. Johan didn't seem too worried about the possibility of war. If it didn't frighten him, she would not let it frighten her.

 

Eleanora wrapped her arms around him as well, trying to brand this moment into her mind so that she would never forget it. She wanted to remember every second they spent together, every kiss, every smile, every loving look. Her eyes remained on his face, and when he looked down at her, desire flared to life within her once more. Yes, they should banish the thought of being parted …

 

When Johan asked if she heard anything, she held her breath, then nodded. There were hoofbeats in the distance. He said it was probably somebody who had come to check on him, but Eleanora feared that her grandfather had wasted no time in finding them.

 

While he got out of bed and pulled on his breeches, she took the armband from the tray and placed it around her arm, watching as the flaxen curls falling over her shoulder turned to gold. She wanted to get dressed herself, but she wasn't certain where he had put her clothes or if she was strong enough to leave the bed. Instead, she pulled the blankets up to her chin and looked over at Johan with wide eyes as he picked up a knife and sat back on the edge of the bed.

 

There was definitely more than one horse. To Eleanora, it sounded like hundreds. She felt her magic flare to life inside her, as if ready to defend them both. If only she knew how to use it, maybe she wouldn't be so afraid. Although his words were reassuring, she sensed a note of concern in his voice. “Maybe they won't stop,” she whispered. “It could just be a party of travelers passing through. Or they could be some of your people who have heard that you have returned from Camelot and are heading toward your castle.”

[Guest]

Johan said, “Maybe. P-p-people do come to the forest.” To hunt or to explore. Still, Johan fiddled with the knife. The hope was dashed as the hooves stopped and suddenly the clanking crunching sound of boots and dismounting reached them. There was a banging sound at the door, a man knocking hard.

 

Johan hesitated. He was still young and whatever abandon he’d previously had was gone. Death became much more fearful, knowing it meant their separation. He looked at her one last time and smiled, turning his attention to the door with a new lust for life. He would take on a dozen men if he needed to, and in victory would embrace his Eleanora and ride into the sunset before laying… A voice came, “Open up, I know you’re there!”

 

Johan’s mood broke instantly “By Dunor, it’s Ormod.” Johan said, “I mean by God.” Johan corrected himself. Johan put the knife down. “It would be him.” Johan’s demeanor didn’t become happy, but any tension of threat passed out of him. It was more like the tension of meeting with an unpleasant friend.

 

Johan stood up and, with a spare glance to make sure Eleanora was covered, opened the door. Outside was a large bear of a man, hairy with a large beard, but old. There were muscles, faded with age, and a great deal of fat over them. He was missing an eye, scarred, and had a peg leg. “There you are. We heard you’d run off with that new lady friend of yours.” He peaked around Johan, as did several of the men with him. Their gazes were less filled with lust than with curiosity, like Eleanora was some exotic beast.

 

“What’re you here for?” Johan asked. “I’m busy.”

 

“Bet you are.” Ormod replied. “The moot’s summoned you two. They want to know who she is.” He hefted his head towards Eleanora. “And why Jarl Winfruth says a royal inspector’s headed our way. Supposed to be here the day after tomorrow.” The land route from Camelot was much longer.

 

Johan sighed, “Tomorrow morning.”

 

“Yeah, alright.” Ormod said. “Be careful with her. Pretty women’re trouble.” Johan just rolled his eyes. “Got you bewitched.” Ormod said less seriously.

 

“Goodbye, thane.” Johan said and Ormod gave a small bow and a deep rumbling laugh. The men were remounting outside, making a bit of a sound, but also speaking. Mostly about Eleanora, if she had good ears.

 

Johan came back to Eleanora. He sat on the bed and took her hand, squeezing it gently, and looked deep into those bright blues, “My goddess, my love.” He gently reached out to cup her cheek, “I d-d-don’t think I tell you how lovely you are enough. How perfect and beautiful. How every inch of you is sweet temptation, every note an angel's, every word love.” And how he would face down the moot for her without even a moment’s hesitation.

 

His hand gently took her chin and led her into a kiss, “How’s your strength?”

[Sophia de la Cerda]

“Then perhaps they will continue on with whatever purpose brought them here.” Unfortunately, they did not pass by and soon she heard them dismounting. Eleanora reached for Johan's free hand, squeezing it tightly, and when she heard the banging on the door, she jumped. Johan smiled at her, but she knew he was worried. What if this was it for them, and they died together in the middle of the woods, killed by a band of robbers?

 

A man's voice rang out, and she could see Johan relax a bit. So it was somebody he knew, but not someone he particularly wanted to see. She pulled the blankets up a bit higher as he went to open the door and she instinctively shrank back when she saw the huge old man standing outside. She couldn't help noticing his eye patch and his peg leg, but she managed to keep from staring. He had obviously participated in quite a few battles by the look of him. Eleanora had only contemplated Johan dying, not losing limbs in war, but if he did return maimed, she would still love him and take care of him. She wondered if the man he was now speaking to had a family.

 

He and his companions stole a few glances at her. They looked curious, not as if they wanted to have their way with her, but they still made her uneasy. Her small body trembled beneath the blankets and she avoided looking at them. Although Eleanora heard every word Johan and Ormod said, she understood little of their conversation. They were speaking of things she had never heard of before.

 

She didn't know whether to cry or laugh when Ormod warned Johan that she was trouble and had already bewitched him. He was right on both counts, although she wished that he had been wrong about the first one. Her grandfather would bring danger to them all because of her. Maybe it was best that she leave and let him have her rather than put her beloved Johan and his people in peril.

 

When he returned to the bed and spoke such beautiful words of love, Eleanora knew that she could never leave him. They would face her grandfather together, and together they would triumph over him. She sighed happily when he kissed her. The lovely sensations flowing through her body took some of her fear away, but not all of it.

 

“I believe I am strong enough to get dressed and go back to your castle,” she informed him. Entwining her fingers with his, she brought his hand up to her lips and kissed it. “Johan, what was that all about? What is a moot and why would a royal inspector be interested in you? It is all because of me, isn't it? Do you think we should reveal my true identity? You may lose the trust of your people if you lie to them.”

[Guest]

Johan’s hand warmed and his heart skipped a beat at her kiss on his hand. She was so very dear to him. He leaned in just slightly, imperceptibly. He wanted to embrace her, to hold her and never let go…

 

“I don’t know.” Johan admitted. And he didn’t. He would have to think. There was uncertainty there, but soon it firmed into certainty as he looked at her again, eyes focusing on hers, “Eleanora, you are my heart. A p-p-part of me. Now I can’t live without you. I d-d-don’t think I ever would have lived if I hadn’t found you.”

 

“Whatever t-t-trials we face, I regret nothing. And I will be…” Johan swelled with inexpressible emotion, he searched for words and found none. He seemed to give up and settled for, “I will be very cross if… you b-b-blame yourself. I b-b-believe I am your savior, your love, your heart. Believe you are mine.” He squeezed her hand and looked at her. It could become a mundane thing, repeated over and over again, but he loved her. And it was a deep, affecting thing for the young lord. If his words were not enough he showed it in his eyes, in his touch, in his actions.

 

Eleanora couldn’t save him by running away or giving herself up for him. In leaving him she’d destroy him. He kissed her hand and let go.

 

“For now let’s go. I’ll show you my keep. It’s a b-b-bit of a silly place.” It was more for appearances and defense than anything else. Johan pulled out a small chest from under the bed, really little more than a box, and opened it. Inside was their clothes. Fortunately, they’d ridden here on one horse so he could hold her as they returned.

 

As he laid out the clothes, sorting through so many socks and underthings, “The moot is a gathering of the m-m-most important people of the jarldom. No d-d-doubt they’re… concerned about recent developments. I don’t know about the inspector. Sometimes they show up to m-m-make sure we’re keeping the laws. He m-m-might be here because you’re missing, or magic.”

 

As he finished, laying out one of her stockings, he looked at her with a knowing lust, “Besides, I’ve g-g-got promises to keep.” They’d spoken of making love in every room. For the moment, Johan helped her to get dressed. He wasn’t much good at tying things but he assisted where he could. If she was strong enough he’d need some help himself.

 

As they got ready to depart, Johan took both her hands in his. He planted a long, slow kiss, withdrawing only mournfully, “I love you Eleanora. Remember that: I love you.”

[Sophia de la Cerda]

“I cannot live without you either,” she confided, kissing his hand again. “Before I met you, I was like a little seed buried in the soil. You are the sun that nourished me and brought me to life. Your love is integral to my existence. Without it, I would die. I love you more than anything else in the world, and I would give my life to save yours.”

 

Eleanora smiled wryly. “While you were talking to that man, I considered leaving and giving myself up to my grandfather so that you would be safe. But that would solve nothing. We are stronger together than we are apart. I do not think it is possible for one of us to live without the other now. Our lives are forever intertwined together.” She held up their clasped hands. “Just like our hands. And our hearts beat as one.”

 

Her smile broadened. “My grandfather will not be able to stand against us and neither will anyone else who tries to tear us apart.”

 

She sat up when he pulled the chest contained their clothes from under the bed. So that was where he had hidden them. “Why do you call your keep silly? Let me be the judge of that.”

 

Johan answered her questions while he sorted their clothes. Eleanora moved beside him, swinging her legs over the side of the bed. She felt a bit dizzy, but the feeling passed quickly. Her strength had almost completely returned. “The moot wants to know about me. That is what he said. I can understand their concerns. You brought a strange woman home with you and you are clearly taken with me. They do not trust me. For all they know, I was sent by your enemies to seduce you and then kill you.”

 

Her desire had waned while speaking of serious matters, but it flared to life again when he reminded her of the promises that he had made. Was that why he wanted to show her his keep, so that they could make love in every room of it today? She certainly wouldn't mind if that was his intention.

 

Eleanora didn't need much help dressing, and she assisted him as she had done before. Soon they were ready to go and he kissed her gently and slowly while holding both of her hands in his. She sighed when his lips left hers. “I love you too, my dearest Johan. And if you ever forget, I will keep reminding you. Like this.” Pressing her lips to his, she kissed him back deeply and passionately. Reluctantly, she pulled away, knowing that if they continued, they would not leave the cabin for a few more hours and then his people would be even more worried about them. “Shall we go?”

[Guest]

Johan smiled, his heart warmed by her loving words. He squeezed her hands tightly at her broad smile, and her raising hands. How dear she was to him. What joy she brought to his life with every adorable smile!

 

But alas, it was time for them to put on clothes. Well, it was just a promise he would strip them off later.

 

Johan suspected the moot’s fears turned to more mundane matters. Attractive concubines might discourage a lord from getting married, distract him from his duties, or drain the treasury with her demands for silk and jewels. But perhaps it was a more serious fear. Johan had never done anything like this before. Eleanora was not his first in bed but she was the first woman of his hearth, the first he’d brought home and tried to build a life with.

 

But Johan chose to focus on the more pleasurable rest of the day. He would think about it, in time. For the moment, Eleanora had promised him a day in bed… and though they’d spent only a brief bit of it in bed, he intended to make it a day of love. And fucking. They were young and in love and neither of them was very restrained.

 

Johan trilled at her kiss. He leaned forward as she pulled away and for a moment it seemed like he would push her gently back again… but no. They had to leave. And as she asked he nodded.

 

He took her hand and led her to his horse, tied to a tree outside. They mounted, Eleanora in back this time, and were off, and after a few turns in the forest the way there was very much like the way back until they were within the walls of the city again. The sun, Eleanora might notice, was showing a later sort of afternoon by then.

 

But rather than going into the city Johan rode along the roads towards the sea, coming at last to the shore. The city was built around a harbor in the shape of a crescent, and in the center of the opening stood an island with two drawbridges on either side, closing it partly in but leaving enough room for ships to leave. Even from a distance the main hall, a huge crossbeam building made of stone and wood, could be seen.

 

They were soon at one of the drawbridges, a primitive wooden design. The caw of birds and the smell of saltwater permeated the atmosphere, but there was no rocking. They were on solid land, and if Eleanora didn’t look down the beach or from the bridge she might only see water in the distance.

 

The island was one large hill, sloping upwards towards the main hall with multiple layers of walls. Johan’s definition of silliness, it seemed, was that the walls were painted in gaudy and obvious colors. Bright swirls like a carnival and inlaid with scenes. It was gaudy in a way one would expect of barbarians new to wealth.

 

The first ring of walls enclosed what looked basically like a camp. Sundry people were around, most of them armed. Several of them were in tents and, if Eleanora had ever seen a war camp, it looked exactly like one writ small within the walls. There were many women around tending to tasks. A few even seemed to be warriors like the men, though most were not. The entire seen was vivacious: the odd fight, some gambling, laughing, drinking. As well as lots of the business of life. One fellow with an eyepatch was sharpening a dozen swords one at a time. A young couple had laid out a blanket and the girl was curling into the man. A few women were circled together laughing about something.

 

The second ring was much more empty. It had a sense of business, of work, of professionalism and purpose about it. It was filled with workshops and storehouses for the most part, and had more obviously professional soldiers. It was significantly smaller than the first and quickly traversed through.

 

The last ring finally saw an end to the hill, and was consumed by the hall and its outbuildings, along with a few engines of war. It had the most soldiers but it was the emptiest of them all. The surface here was perfectly flat but the bright confused colors of before reached a cacophony, with many strange images inlaid with gold and gems spread over the walls and buildings. The hall was bright and golden and the center of all this riot, decorated with scenes of war and weapons. The doors were gigantic and ballistae bolts and spears had been used in place of nails and hinges. Many of the other bits were either made to resemble weapons or half-melted weapons meant to keep part of their original shape.

 

These too were brightly painted. The doors were dominated by a giant white picture of a bird in flight, though very stylized.

 

Johan gave his horse to a servant and they dismounted. He looked at her sheepishly, as if aware the place was something of a crime against taste. But a few moments later his mood seemed to pick up and he kissed her lightly. “What’s to be our f-f-first stop on your grand tour?” He asked.

 

There was a building with lots of steam rising out of it, the kitchens, set apart in case they burned down. There was a large stone with strange characters carved into it with red inking. There were stables and the walls themselves, along with its gates, part of a battery of purely practical buildings. There was a surprisingly modern looking house off to the side, obviously a later addition. And there was, of course, the hall itself in all its hugeness.

 

There were also a few other outbuildings and probably anything Eleanora wanted to see she could find here. At least if Johan possessed it.

[Sophia de la Cerda]

Eleanora wouldn't have protested if he had pushed her back on the bed and made love to her again, but he seemed to realize, as she did, that there would be less trouble if they returned to his castle. And so, with their hands clasped together, they left the cabin and went to his horse. This time, she rode in back of him, her arms wrapped tightly around his waist so that she would not fall off. In truth, she liked riding in front of him better, but this was less intimate, which was better while his people didn't trust her. If they thought he was too besotted with her, they might try to drive her away. Johan would never allow it, she knew, but she didn't want to put him in that position.

 

She would rather put him in a far more tantalizing position … inside her.

 

The ride back was enjoyable, at least until he turned toward the shore. Her arms tightened around him and her heart pounded in fear when they reached the drawbridge. Not even the brightly painted walls could distract her from the terror she felt when she was surrounded by water. Eleanora hoped she didn't grip him so tightly that he couldn't breathe.

 

Her grasp relaxed as soon as they were on the other side and within the first layer of walls. She had never seen a war camp before and the scene that stretched before her reminded her of some of the villages she had passed through on her way to Camelot, with people going about the daily business of their lives. They all looked quite content, attesting to the fact that Johan took good care of them. The people in the village around her grandfather's castle were ragged and thin and lived in hovels, if they had roofs over their heads at all. Once she was in charge, all of that would change.

 

Now she was able to observe the colored walls more clearly. When she learned her way around, she would take a closer look at the scenes depicted upon them. Did they show Johan's victories or scenes from the distant past? Maybe she would find somebody willing to explain them to her. It would be a pleasant way to spend her time when Johan left her to attend to his lordly duties.

 

The second ring of walls was less interesting, but the third contained the castle, or keep, or whatever Saxons called their residences. She had never seen gold and jewels embedded into buildings, and again, she made a note to look at them more closely in the near future. For now, Eleanora just stared around her in awe. It was nothing like anything she had ever seen before, but she didn't think it lacked taste. It was just … different.

 

The doors were huge and fastened with what looked like discarded weapons, and she wondered if the bird painted on the door held a special meaning. After they dismounted, he kissed her and asked her what she wanted to see first. “Surprise me,” she answered, kissing him back. “I am curious as to what is behind that door. Is this where we will be living most of the time?”

[Guest]

Johan crossed the bridge a bit quicker than he had before when he noticed Eleanora’s tightening grip. If there was any pain in it, Johan didn’t give a sign.

 

The castle was the entirety of the walls, including the city below. The motte was the series of walls they’d just been through. The baileys were the lands inside, as divided by the various layers of walls. And the great building in front of them was the hall. In this, it was not significantly different from British or continental castles, except for the Saxon custom of enclosing the surrounding population so that the castle was also an urban center. The inner bailey also lacked a central donjon or tower. Instead there was a scattering of buildings around the center.

 

The decoration and construction were, however, completely distinct. The riot of colors, the intricate carvings, and the materials and construction of the walls were all different than the native Britons’.

 

“It used to be.” Johan said, “B-b-back when we first came here we all lived in halls l-l-like that. No one had their own homes. A noble lord lived in a grand hall like that and all his nobles and servants would live, eat, and sleep around him.” There weren’t even rooms and there was no privacy. As wealth had made it possible to have private homes, and as tastes changed from contact with other people, fewer and fewer people actually lived in the hall. “Now it’s the fashion for everyone to have their… own house, if they c-c-can afford it.” And also to have beds, which the Saxons had lacked until they’d come into contact with the Romans and British.

 

“Come, I’ll show you.” The doors were functional but they were too large to be moved for a simple visit. There was a smaller, human-sized side door which Johan opened. The interior was darker than the outside, though there were numerous fires giving the place a glowing, smoky warmth and making it easy to see.

 

The hall was a gigantic single room. It could have easily accommodated a ship, possibly multiple ships. The floor was wooden and raised slightly above the ground. There were a few hatches or to below or ladders to above, as well as doors on the sides, most of them closed now. There were numerous tables, benches and chairs spread out over it. It was mostly empty, though there were a few people eating or in the corners. They didn’t take much notice of the couple, though a few servants came up and stood ready to attend them.

 

At the far end there was a raised table and a slightly more raised chair, a throne. The same bird from the door was carved into the back of the throne.

 

The whole of the place spoke of wealth. The interior was full of gigantic intricate carvings and adorned with furs, tapestries, precious gems and metals, and a thousand other expensive items. There were also numerous weapons and trophies hanging from the walls, some of them old and rusted, some of them fresh and new. Everything was well made and well kept, though also obviously well used. It also seemed a public sort of place, lacking much in the way of personal touch.

 

The scenes carved or painted were varied. They didn’t make a coherent narrative but some of them told stories. None of them would be familiar to Eleanora.

 

“This is where the moot will g-g-g-ather. And where we’ll receive the inspector.” Johan shared. It was also where they had feasts and held functions. “When you’re summoned you’ll stand there.” Johan pointed to a clear area in front of the table, “And I’ll be sitting there.” Johan pointed to the throne. “And the nobles and freemen of my l-l-lands will be here.”

 

A few people were taking notice of them, and again Eleanora was a point of interest. While some noticed she was beautiful, Eleanora was still more an object of interest and gossip than lust. Johan wrapped an arm around her waist and smiled at her. He leaned down to whisper in her ear, “This one w-w-will be a challenge, but if we’re… quiet,” he nibbled gently on her ear.

 

If the servants noticed they made no sign. The rest were too far away to tell he was doing anything more than whispering.

[Sophia de la Cerda]

From his explanation, Eleanora assumed they would be living mostly in the house that he had first taken her to and not here in the hall, which was apparently what a Saxon called his castle. Their culture was much different than what she was accustomed to, but she knew that with Johan's help, she would adjust and learn Saxon customs. What scared her was that she was pretending to be a Saxon girl and she should already know these things. It was only a matter of time before she would make a mistake that would prove she was a foreigner.

 

Johan opened a smaller door that she had not seen, and they stepped into a huge room that contained both furniture and expensive treasures. “When you said that nobles and servants used to live, eat, and sleep around their lord, you meant it literally? They all lived in one large room?” She noticed the doors, hatches, and ladders. They probably led to smaller rooms, but this chamber seemed to be the center of activity and open to everybody.

 

Eleanora looked up at the raised table and the throne. So he was like a King here. She couldn't help shivering as he pointed out where she would stand in front of him and all of his nobles. When he whispered in her ear and nibbled on it, pleasurable sensations inundated her young body, but she was too worried to think of making love at the moment.

 

“It will be like I am on trial? I will have to answer questions?” She gripped his hand tightly. “Johan, I am supposed to be a Saxon girl but I know nothing of your ways. Nor can I make up a believable story if I am asked about my family or where I cam from. They will know I am lying and will suspect that I am not who I say I am.”

[Guest]

“Oh yes.” Johan said, “It’s still l-l-like that in some of the poorer villages. Everyone lives in one big hall t-t-together with their livestock. They have their storehouse b-b-beneath the floor.” Johan stomped on the floor: there was one here as well. “We were t-t-terribly poor when we first arrived. The first king of the Saxons lived in a t-t-tent for the first six years of his reign.”

 

Johan noted the shiver and had hoped a bit of passion would distract her. If she had good memories of the room before the day of… but her worry remained.

 

Johan shifted and, wrapping his other arm around her, brought her into embrace. “They’re n-n-not accusing you. They’ll ask you questions, but what they w-w-want is to see how you’ll fit in, whether you’ll be a p-p-problem. You c-c-can ask them questions too, if you want.”

 

She feared about keeping her story straight, “You are Emma of Bremer,” Johan reminded her more quietly, so no one would overhear, “A girl f-f-from the continent, a foreigner sent here in the hopes your l-l-looks could buy you a better future than your dowry could. Your father is no one important, your home is small and out of the way.” It was an easy story to remember and would cover over the worst of any mistakes she made.

 

“They m-m-might ask you if you’re connected to Princess Eleanora or the inspector, but you c-c-can believably plead ignorance.” Johan added.

 

He squeezed her, “It’ll be alright. I’ll be there and I won’t let anyone attack you. If you’re nervous, you c-c-can be nervous in front of them.” Johan’s hand came up to gently cradle Eleanora’s head into his chest. He wished dearly there was something he could do to make this better, make her more comfortable. “No m-m-matter what happens they won’t tear us apart.” He said. He would not allow it.

[Sophia de la Cerda]

Eleanora wrinkled her nose. “I'm glad it's not like that now. I don't think I would enjoy sleeping with cows and pigs.” Nor would she have felt comfortable sleeping in the same room with men. Johan would never let another man touch her, but if she had grown up in a place such as he described, the more unscrupulous among the male residents might have tried to have their way with her while everyone was asleep. With a hand clamped over her mouth, she wouldn't have been able to cry out.

 

She shivered again at the thought, even though there was no chance of that happening now. Now she had to worry about showing Johan's people that she meant none of them any harm, that she was just a girl who was trying to secure a rich husband with her beauty and had fallen in love with the man she had set out to seduce. That, she decided, would be an important part of her story. She was in love with Johan and she wanted to be with him regardless of his wealth and status. And she hoped he would tell them that he was in love with her.

 

“I am a problem,” she remarked sadly. “And I'll continue to be one until my grandfather is dead. Then I will be an asset, for you will be able to add my riches and property to your own." Emma's story the way he described it would not be difficult to remember, as long as she wasn't asked about her life in detail, such as the names of her parents or if she had any siblings.

 

“But I am Princess Eleanora. I don't know if I can act well enough to pull this off.” He had much more confidence in her than she had in herself. “I don't think I did a very good job pretending to be Emma back at Camelot. I didn't even know how to flirt with you.”

 

His embrace was comforting and she clung to him tightly. “I will be nervous. And if you stop them from attacking me, it will look like you are under my spell.” When he pressed her head to his chest, she could feel the steady beat of his heart beneath her ear. “I know that nothing will tear us apart, but I am afraid that you will be cast out if they want me to leave and you refuse to let me go. We can always run off to another kingdom and start new lives for ourselves, but is that what you want? You will lose everything you have because of me.”

[Guest]

Johan chuckled, “Yes, well it hasn’t b-b-been like that for some time now. But we still b-b-build halls and gather in them for… m-m-meetings and feasts in the same style.” They’d gotten larger and more ornate as they’d gotten wealthier. But they were still the same sort of building, even if they didn’t sleep like the poor barbarians they’d been when they arrived. There was a depiction of the story of their arrival carved into the walls which Johan eyed but Eleanora’s emotional state arrested him, even from history.

 

Johan had told Eleanora he’d be very cross with her if she blamed herself, “You are not a problem.” Johan insisted. “You are an asset, even now. To me, if no one else.”

 

She spoke of their future, how she would be more helpful to him once her grandfather was killed, “Oh Eleanora. Even if you were a serving girl with… no p-p-property to your name and your grandfather was just a jealous and tyrannical m-m-master, I would have taken you.” He could have never married her then, but they would’ve been together.

 

“They d-d-don’t know who Emma is.” Johan said, “You get to invent it. Like you d-d-did back at the… castle.” If she was shy or inept at flirting, all that meant was that Johan would get teased for unusual tastes.

 

“I would.” Johan said. He would take the men loyal to him and carve out a new lordship. Perhaps in Ireland, or on her grandfather’s kingdom. “My home is p-p-people, not wood or hills or gold. Your arms are my bed, and the men loyal to me my walls. The people who know I will be happy and trust that I will not let you harm them, just as I will not let them harm you. And anything your g-g-grandfather does is his fault, not yours.” He said pre-emptively.

 

He squeezed her once more, tightly, and released her. He gestured to the rich display, “Perhaps you should p-p-practice now then?” Johan suggested. He could say a thousand things to reassure her but perhaps a little experience would go further. “Right now, what w-w-would she think? What would she… feel? Say, do?” He asked.

[Sophia de la Cerda]

Eleanora was to anxious to pay much attention to her surroundings. She had seen the carvings on the wall, but wasn't aware that they told a story. This hall was on her ever-increasing list of places to explore later, preferably with Johan by her side to explain everything to her. Or perhaps one of the nobles who bore her no ill will would show her around. She needed to make friends with them. When they got to know her, they would no longer see her as a threat.

 

She felt that she was ruining their first day together by expressing her fears and didn't want him to think of her as a whining child. But keeping her concerns to herself where they would grow and fester was not good either. Johan, her dear sweet Johan, seemed to understand and her heart swelled with happiness when he said that he would love her even if she wasn't a Princess who would (hopefully) soon be Queen of her own kingdom.

 

“And I would have gone with you even if you had been a lowly pig farmer. I know you love me, but your people don't. To them, I am not an asset but a hindrance and I don't know how to prove otherwise. I am afraid that I will fail miserably at this moot of yours and that they will never trust me.” Lying about her identity didn't bother Eleanora, but she didn't think she would be adept at it.

 

“I wasn't very good at making things up,” she reminded him. “I lived a very sheltered life. There was … and still is … much I don't know about the world. I spent most of my life confined to my grandfather's castle.”

 

Love shone in her eyes when he told her that he would give up everything he had to be with her. Deep in her heart, she had known he would and that he would never regret it, but she hoped it didn't come to that. At the very least, he would know who was loyal to him and who wasn't after her ordeal was over.

 

Eleanora wanted to cling to him forever, but he released her. Not wanting to lose all physical contact between them, she grabbed his hand. His suggestion that she practice being Emma brought a small smile to her lips. “Yes, I would like that. We can both stand where I am supposed to be and you can ask me the questions you think I will be required to answer. If you sit on your throne, it will look as if you are telling me what to say.” If they just stood together talking, anyone who walked in would not suspect that they were rehearsing what was to come.

 

Her smile brightened a bit when he asked her what Emma would think right now. “She would want to find the nearest bed and pounce upon you. That's what she always wants to do. Now, though, I think she would be frightened too. Maybe we are not really so different, she and I.”

[Guest]

Life was never free of fears or problems. Eleanora would learn that he wanted her to share everything with him, even the bad, as he would with her. There would be times when the two would escape and forget the worries of the world for a week or two. But this was not that time. Too many matters pressed. Too many matters always pressed.

 

“To them, right now, you are a silly plaything I p-p-picked up on a trip. I think m-m-most of them are worried you’ll keep me from my duties or spend me out of home on… jewels and silks.” They did not know that Emma was related to Eleanora or the inspector. “No one knows you here, my love. They d-d-do not yet like or hate you. Perhaps a few are jealous.” But Johan imagined, for the vast majority, so long as Eleanora didn’t make Johan worse as a jarl, threaten the political marriage all lords invariably had, exercise undue influence, or became extremely expensive that they would be happy to leave them be.

 

“You showed a g-g-great deal of quick thinking with that… monster.” Johan meant Sir Wolfhelm. Inexperienced or no she was not dull. But she protested her isolation made her unworldly, “Then p-p-play Emma that way. Perhaps she too was locked up and drilled and m-m-molded by her parents in the knowledge that it takes… more than beauty to buy a better life. It left her p-p-pleasing but inexperienced in the ways of the world.”

 

Johan smiled as love shone in her eyes. He wondered if giving it all up wouldn’t be better. They could have lived in some isolated house in the beauty of nature, growing their family and enjoying each other’s company with no cares but to keep their farm running… But he knew he would never abandon his responsibilities. And he knew he was idealizing a life he’d never led. Still, the idea of a lifetime of love and leisure…

 

Johan smiled and squeezed her hand as she grabbed at it. He smiled lustily when she said she wanted to pounce on him. He leaned in and, brushing aside her golden locks whispered into her ear, “I want to… soothe that fear.” His tone left no doubt that Emma’s pouncing would be involved in that soothing. He gently sucked on her earlobe, but this time ended it with just a tease.

 

He brought her forward, waving off the servants. No one seemed to pay them much mind as they passed. Just in front of the table that stood in front of the throne was a circle of old, sea-weathered wood with the same white bird painted on it. It was large, large enough that a dozen men could’ve easily stood in it with room to spare. Johan walked to the center of it. While the hall stretched on as a rectangle, at the far end, all the seats circled around this as the center. The throne particular seemed to look down upon it.

 

“You w-w-will stand with the rest until you’re c-c-called. You’ll walk up to here and I’ll be there,” Johan pointed to the throne, “And several m-m-men will be sitting beneath me there.” Johan pointed to the table. “And the rest will be behind you or t-t-to your… sides.”

 

“The first thing they’ll ask is what your n-n-name is, and your home, and your family, so that everyone knows who you are. They’ll ask you what’s your… nationality.” Johan said. “After that, it’s whatever they w-w-want.” Unfortunately, Johan didn’t have an exact handle on what would be asked either. He’d never done this before and he’d only seen it done when he was much, much younger.

 

“They’ll want…” Johan switched to playing his role, his voice changing to reflect a questioner. It lost a great deal of the warmth and affection it had gained, returning to that predatory, wolfish tone it had when they first met. “Why did you decide to give yourself to our lord?” That would be important because it would let them know her motivations.

 

Johan seemed to be thinking things up, “It’s not fair like this. Why don’t you ask me something too?”

[Sophia de la Cerda]

Eleanora nodded. “Then that is what I must prove to them … that I am not going to keep you from your duties and that I will not demand expensive gifts. You have given me nothing so far but the armband that keeps me disguised, and that is usually hidden beneath my sleeves. And they don't know that it wasn't mine to begin with.” The clothes she was wearing were also borrowed, but they were not particularly luxurious by the standards of her grandfather's kingdom. She didn't think they were any finer than the clothing she had seen on other noblewomen. Emma was a still a noble, just not a wealthy one.

 

“I was acting purely on instinct then. He was hurting you and all I knew was that I had to stop it.” She lowered her voice. “There was no thinking involved or I would not have been able to use my magic. I think I was only able to control it because I could not help you any other way. Until today, I wasn't even able to feel it. It just … happened.”

 

Eleanora could tell that her response aroused him. She was still too worried to feel more than mild desire, but once she was certain that she could get through the interrogation to come, she knew that her longing for him would return in full force. When he nibbled on her earlobe, she closed her eyes and sighed in pleasure. “And I wish to soothe all your desires,” she whispered.

 

Still grasping his hand, she followed him to the front of the table where a circle of wood stood, painted with the same white bird that adorned his throne and the door to the hall. She would ask him about its significance later, perhaps after she had pounced on him. Maybe the bird adorned his bed as well.

 

She looked around her, noticing the way the seating was arranged and how the throne looked down upon the wooden circle. Knowing where she was to stand and where everyone else would be eased her anxiety at least slightly. Johan would be right there where she could look up at him. If she focused on him, she might not be so frightened.

 

“I will do as you say and draw on my own experiences when describing Emma's life. Is Bremer a real place? If it isn't, then I will say that is a small village on the continent. If it was a kingdom, they might have heard of it. And what is my nationality? I think I look like a Saxon now. I thought that was what I am supposed to be. Are there Saxons on the continent too?”

 

Her eyes widened when he took on the role of one of her questioners. He was a much better actor than she was. “When I first met you … I mean, him … I saw him as a conquest, a wealthy benefactor who would take care of me so that I could live a comfortable life. But then I fell in love with him, and now all I want is to stay with him forever no matter what my position here will be.”

 

She tilted her head to the side. “Is that a good answer? I don't think I should tell them that I was looking for a husband. They may not think that a noble girl from a small village is good enough to marry their lord.”

 

He had told her that she would be able to ask questions too, and now he suggested that she practice that as well. “Will you allow me to live among you and become part of your lord's household and a productive member of your clan? Is that the right word? Clan?” Eleanora was not certain what groups of Saxons were called.

[Guest]

Johan nodded to her assessment. He knew she loved him for himself, but that wouldn’t be apparent to everyone. It might not even be believable to some. And he nodded again at her description of how she’d acted. Yet she’d still come through in a crisis, and John was much disposed to think well of her, so it didn’t dent his confidence in her.

 

Their disparate desires were caused by disparate feelings about what was coming. Johan was calmer and so acted normally. Eleanora was plainly nervous. He didn’t mind at all, but he couldn’t resist the odd touch or tease. She still seemed to like it and Johan was taking her fears seriously.

 

“Not that I know of.” Johan said. He’d made it up by taking mixing two other names in a way that sounded normal to his ear. “If someone d-d-does know of one, say it’s another p-p-place with the same name. They might ask you some d-d-details, but once they understand it’s p-p-poor and unimportant they should leave off.”

 

“There are.” Johan said, “They’re p-p-part of different kingdoms and their customs are a b-b-bit different. But you could say you’re f-f-from High Saxony. You could also say you’re one of us, a New Saxon, if you w-w-want. But they’ll ask.” Eleanora did look like a Saxon but it wasn’t as if being blonde was a uniquely Saxon trait.

 

Johan had often put on a harder face than he felt, so it was easy enough. But when her eyes widened he immediately squeezed her hand. His eyes, quite against his will, melted just a little and concern shone through. “It’s a g-g-good answer. It won’t raise… suspicions. Though they might not believe you really love me.” Johan laced their fingers and smiled as if to say, ‘Of course I know better’.

 

“But yes, we should stay away f-f-from marriage. When you are a queen I don’t think they’ll object. Until then, at best they’ll ask you how you feel about being a concubine. It’s not as g-g-good as a wife, but it is permanent and it would m-m-make our children legitimate.” It would give her a place in his household, one where the basic nature of their relationship could play out, and wouldn’t prevent him from marrying her later.

 

“Tribe.” Johan furnished, “The Saxons are a nuh-nationality, divided into kingdoms, which are d-d-divided into tribes, which are divided into hundreds, which are d-d-divided into hides. Every free hideholder is p-p-part of the tribal moot which votes on… important matters and elects representatives that work with me and my officials.” The Saxons were barbarous but they were also well organized and had a relatively sophisticated government. “I am the chief of the tribe of East Saxena and a jarl to the King.”

 

Johan realized just how quickly they had moved. She barely knew who he was… or rather, she knew exactly who he was and not what he was. Still, he was filled with love and certain of a perfect future.

 

As for her question of whether they’d let her join, “That’s g-g-good. They’ll p-p-probably tell you it has yet to be determined, but it shows you want to be more than an ornament.” Which Johan knew from the first, of course.

[Sophia de la Cerda]

The more that she thought about it, making up Emma's life might not be so difficult if she drew from the stories she had read. It was unlikely that Saxons read the same books. A village was a village. If Eleanora had to describe Bremer, she could be vague about the details so it would seem like any village one might pass while traveling. And since it was on the continent, nobody was going to ask her to take them there. Even if they did, she could say she ran away and didn't want to go back, that her parents had not cared about her future so she had left to make something of herself.

 

The hard part would be keeping everything straight so that she didn't contradict herself.

 

So she was supposed to be a Saxon. “What is the difference between a High Saxon and a New Saxon?” Since they were going to ask her about that, she needed to know. “Since I am not familiar with your ways, I should be from at least a slightly different culture.” Things were coming together now. Eleanora wasn't as terrified as she had been before. Johan was helping her immensely by explaining things to her.

 

And he thought her answer was sufficient. “Will there be women there?” she asked as he entwined his fingers with hers. “They will be able to tell that I love you by the way I look at you. I couldn't hide my feelings for you if I tried.” Nor did she want to. She had a feeling she would be gazing at him a lot while she was questioned.

 

Eleanora smiled playfully when he told her that she would be asked how she felt about being a concubine. “As long as I am your only one, then it doesn't matter what they call me as long as I can be with you.” She was just teasing him, of course. Instinctively, she knew that he would never take another lover, even if a pretty young woman became interested in him after Eleanora was old and wrinkled. Handsome men would never turn her head either. She loved Johan and him alone, and that would never change.

 

She had known he was important because he owned the castle and its surroundings and because of the respect he was treated with. Now she understood better why his people didn't want her to have too much influence over him. An unscrupulous woman could turn him against anyone she didn't like and perhaps even take some of his power for herself. She needed to reassure them that she was not like that at all. “You are only one step lower in status than your King? Is he the one who is sending the inspector? Do you think he heard of me already?”

 

It appeared that acceptance would not come immediately. “I wish I had some useful skills to offer,” she said with a little sigh. “But I am willing to learn. I will even get down on my hands and knees and scrub floors if it means I can stay with you.

 

“Who makes the final decision? Is it possible that they will vote to throw me out or is the choice ultimately yours?” In her grandfather's kingdom, his word was law, but here it seemed that everyone had a say. That was how Eleanora believed it should be.

[Guest]

“High Saxons l-l-live in High Saxony. Low Saxons l-l-live in Low Saxony. They’re b-b-both on the continent. New Saxons l-l-live in New Saxony, which is in Britain. We speak slightly d-d-different languages, have slightly d-d-different cultures, follow different kings.” But they were still very similar. “High Saxony is where m-m-most of us are from originally. It’s poor and depopulated and full of squabbling warlords. You w-w-would not be the first to follow us.” And she could play off mistakes as her being a country bumpkin.

 

Johan nodded there would be women there. They could watch and speak but couldn’t vote. Johan smiled as she claimed they would know. He gently ran a hand along her cheek. She was dear and no doubt he would spend a great deal of time looking at her too. Perhaps women would pick up on that better than men, be more sympathetic. Johan thought the men would think him a bit foolish for being so besotted. He didn’t care a bit, though.

 

Johan smiled and kissed her when she declared she didn’t care so long as she was with him. Marriage was a political thing. That still depended on the vagaries of the future. But unless things went very poorly after tonight they would be together forever. Eleanora already held his heart. If by some poor twist of fate Johan had to marry someone else, it would be for politics, and she would be his love. Johan hoped, though, to marry her properly. And soon.

 

Johan nodded that he was directly below his king. “And the king is a subject of King Arthur’s… after his f-f-father was defeated.” Johan shook his head, “The inspector is one of King Arthur’s men.”

 

As for hearing of her, “Emma? I d-d-doubt it. If he has, I don’t think he’d c-c-care. The m-m-moot cares because it cares about me. She’s p-p-pretty well beneath everyone else’s notice, except in that you’ll have my ear.” Though she would have greater status among Johan’s tribe specifically because Johan’s ear was worth a lot among them.

 

Johan laughed as she offered to be a maid. “I’ve g-g-got better uses for you.” He said with a smile and a wink. “You m-m-might ask some ladies for help. Some will t-t-turn their nose up, but many will be eager to become friends with someone c-c-close to me.” After tonight, she would be known and able to move around Johan’s subjects.

 

“They c-c-could vote to banish you. Or something like… that. But no one’s suggested it.” Johan said. “They’re going to ask questions and advise me, maybe vote on a f-f-few things, and if I g-g-go against their advice they’ll make trouble.” Which seemed a reasonable enough interest for them to take. They relied on him and supported him and Johan had duties in reply. Johan was generally amenable to more inclusive sorts of governance… though he would defy them if they tried to tear Eleanora from him.

 

Johan took their clasped hand in his other hand, raising it up and squeezing gently, "I p-p-promise you, this will not end so badly as you fear. I think you'll charm them." He kissed their hands, "D-d-do you feel better, my love?"