ismenin | Aetheling Four

A HAPPY EASTER to all my flist who celebrate the Day! He is Risen.

Before I post my story I want to put in a few words. As you will no doubt know if you are readers of my stuff, this is an Alternate Reality tale, and may contain aspects not usually attributed to Anglo Saxon times. I can think of a few. That is why I don't usually ascribe a date to my work - it's easier to read than worry that if this is supposed to be 568 AD, why is Charlemagne mentioned it it, when he was an 11th century bod?

So please just read and enjoy. I hope you do, at any rate.

Thanks to

ladysunrope for beta.

DP:

The Aetheling, Aethelighe - Lijah
Dominic of Amiens, Frankish prince - Dom

Cerdic the King, Lighe's father - Bernard Hill
Mirdred, Lighe's mother - Miranda
Hilda, Lighe's sister - Hannah
Thrydwald, Lighe's younger brother - Hayden Christiansen
Ermyngarde, Mirdred's sister. Lighe's aunt - Judy Dench

Seaned, Lighe's uncle: Bro of Cerdic, father of Leofric - Sean Bean
Leofric, Lighe's cousin - Jason Isaacs (as Lucius Malfoy)
Emgel (Emm), Seaned's daughter - Emma Watson

Siglandus, The Bastard of Orleans (Lando). Dom's cousin - Orli
Danwald, Lighe's squire - Dan Radcliffe.
Rufwald, Dan's friend - Rupert Grint
Ragno, Dom's servant - Sean Connery

Aetheling Four

Dom kept his eyes shut, and listened to Lighe's voice telling him to keep up the drag. His arms felt as if they were popping out of their sockets, but he was a strong man, and he did exactly as he was told.

When the drag was released, he fell over a bale of hay and landed by the old man's feet. One of the ostlers helped him up.

Lighe was rubbing the foal with a handful of straw, and the mare turned her head and nudged him away. He rose immediately, and moved as the mother began licking her baby.

Dan and Rufe came in with the bran. "We missed it all!" Dan said in accusing tones, and Lighe smiled wearily. "So you did. But look, Morwei has a fine son, and you may help tend him."

The two lads nodded, pleased, but Dom saw Lighe wince and realised that he had had to place all his weight on his damaged foot to pull the foal out.

One of the ostlers shyly handed Dom a flacon of mead, and he took a reviving gulp, passing it to Lighe with a grin.

Horsa put down a bucket and a coarse huckaback towel and told Lighe to wash before he went back inside. "'Cos He will not be best pleased to hear from his spies that the Aetheling smelt of the stables, will he, my lord?" he whispered, for Lighe's ear alone. Fortunately, Dom was blessed with exceptionally good hearing, and was glad to discover Lighe had another supporter in this place, no matter how humble he might be.

They stayed long enough to see the new-born colt stand, and left Dan and Rufe there to guard the couple's sleep.

"Do not think to rush back in the morning before you have bathed, Dan," Lighe grinned at his squire. "I can find my own stuff, or send for Eafa, who cared for my clothes whilst you were away."

Lighe tried to keep his feelings to himself. He knew that Eafa, who had been sent to him in Dan's stead, was the king's spy, and he had no more intention of calling for him than he had in flying to the moon.

But Dom saw much in the Aetheling's face that Lighe would keep to himself. He said nothing, however, and as the night was still fairly young, asked as they entered Lighe's room if they should play a board or two and send for more mead, so that it would be known they had been together for most of the evening.

Lighe nodded his assent but it was clear he was still thinking. They drew up chairs to the small table, and were engrossed in a game when Eafa entered carrying a jug.

"The king thought you might wish for more drink, my lord prince," the man said, head bowed. Lighe thanked him curtly, and told the man he need not return that night. Obviously it was known that Rufe and Dan were in the stables. And that he, too, had been there.

At least the king will have heard that Dom had been with him. That would please him, at least. He smiled and gave his attention to the game.

When Dom entered his own room several hours later, he found Ragno brushing his riding boots. "Just in case you were intending to ride out tomorrow, my lord," the man said, putting the boots down by the fire to warm. "Will you be wanting anything else before I go?"

Dom waved his servant away with a friendly gesture. "Found yourself a cosy bed, as usual? It is so like you!"

"I have indeed, lad. One of the cooks, and a fine figure of a woman she is, too."

Dom laughed. "It is like you to find someone to cater to the needs you find most urgent in you, you old reprobate. Go and find her bed. I'm tired..."

At that moment, Lando came into the room, looking mischievous, and nodded, smiling at Ragno, as the man left them. "The king has send Leofric on an urgent task, so I have come to keep you company, as he said he will be gone for several days," Lando said, sitting on the bed, and pulling his boots off.

"He tried very hard to get me to go with him, but I told him you would not permit it."

Dom had stripped off his clothing, and had climbed into bed. "Why did you tell him that, coz? You know I would have no objection. In fact, you might have learned something useful about the man."

Lando shrugged as he joined Dom in the feathered warmth. "Truth to tell, the man bores me. All he thinks on is rutting and killing. The first night we spent together he spent telling me of the men he'd slaughtered. God save me, Dom, ten minutes of that was enough for me. The man is a fool."

"But still you stayed with him?" Dom put an arm around Lando and drew him close.

"I thought it was what you wanted, Dom. Did you not wish it?"

Dom kissed his cousin, and ran a hand tenderly through his long, dark hair. "I did wish it...I still do, if you can bear it."

Lando shivered under his touch. "He is well enough in bed. A little coarse, but he allows me to do what I will to him. In fact he encourages my excesses. I have not tired of that yet. I shall continue, as you wish it, until I do..."

Dom stopped his mouth with a kiss.

*****

Lighe lay warm under the blankets, and considered sending for one of his occasional bed-mates. Swefred, Rufe's elder brother, for instance. He felt his cock harden in his hand, and wished for someone's mouth around it. Or that he was thrusting it fiercely into a willing body.

However Dan was not by to fetch anyone, and it was too cold to get out of bed. He grasped himself tightly and groaned. His hand moved frantically up and down and Lighe gave his mind up to his lust. Soon his back arched in the familiar way it did when he came, and he wiped himself on the sheets, and turned on his side. It had been better than nothing, but Lighe felt the need of a warm body beside him, and there was not even a dog to comfort him this night. He did not know why he felt the need for company so much - he sighed and prepared for sleep.

An hour later four men crept into the keep along the corridor that led to the midden. One of the men tripped over a loose stone in the dark and cursed under his breath. The leader turned and cuffed the man hard across the head. There was no need for words - the man knew he had been told to remain silent whatever happened.

They were all masked, their faces wound about with dark cloth, their clothing covered by grey cloaks. The leader put up his hand as he cautiously looked around the corner of the corridor that led to Lighe's room.

All was quiet. The leader carefully opened Lighe's door and the four men sidled in. The leader gestured and three men approached the bed, bound Lighe's mouth before he could speak, and as he struggled frantically against his assailants, the leader came forward and struck him a violent blow to the jaw.

"Get him out into the cart, quickly!" he hissed under his breath, and the largest of the men hoisted the unconscious Aetheling onto his shoulder, and left the room.

The leader picked up and folded a few items that had been disturbed during the abduction, then closed the door carefully behind him and followed the men back along the corridor.

Outside, Lighe was dumped unceremoniously into a cart and covered with logs and straw, and the rest of the group - six in all - rode away, leaving the leader to drive the cart out of the castle enclosure.

Next morning Dom and Lando were woken by an urgent knocking on the door. Lando, cursing, got up and opened it. Dan rushed in, panting with fright. "The Aetheling has gone, my lords!"

Dom sat up and regarded the boy with a bleary eye. It had been a long and active night. "Where has he gone, lad? Why do you think he's gone anywhere? And why should he not go where he pleases?"

"I've searched everywhere since I left the stables an hour ago. Rufe went for Emm, and they've looked all over the castle. I know he was taken against his will..."

The boy sat in the chair, shaking, and Dom rose and quickly pulled on his clothing. He went and knelt beside the trembling boy. "Why do you think this, Dan?"

The boy drew a knife out of his belt. "This is his knife, my lord. He keeps it under his pillows while he sleeps, and never leaves the room without it."

Dom put a hand on the lad's shoulder. "May it be he just forgot it, Dan? Have you not thought that he has gone to someone's...bed without your knowledge?"

Dan looked scornful, his cheeks growing red with exasperation and distress. "He may well have done so, my lord, I am not privy to all his doings. However, I have never known the Aetheling leave his room for... such a thing as you suggest. He sends for them, you see, if he....and if he did leave his room in the middle of the night, for any reason, he would hardly do it naked."

He now had all of Dom's attention. "Naked?"

Lando brought the boy a cup of mead and he drank it gratefully before continuing.

"I have charge of the prince's clothing. I know every single thing he possesses. And every one of his belongings are in that room. I checked the chests. Even his nightshirt is folded across the foot of the bed. If he left willingly, he did so naked. With the laundress since yesterday there are two tunics and three..."

The boy brushed his hand over his eyes, ashamed to be seen weeping before two such mighty lords.

There was a timid knock and Lando answered and let in Rufwald and Emgard. "We've searched everywhere, Dan," the girl said, pale with shock. "Of course we didn't go to anyone's room, but as you said, he'd hardly go there naked. What shall we do?"

Dom was deep in thought. "Did anyone see you in the corridors?"

"No," Rufe said. "It is barely dawn. The servants will not be up for another half an hour at least. The king is too mean to allow them candles to work by, even on the darkest morning."

Dom smiled at them. "Very well! Rufe, Emm - go to your rooms and say nothing - nothing at all, to anyone. Be very surprised if anyone comments that Lighe is missing, but nothing beyond that. Ask no questions, and to anyone else's queries, feign ignorance. I will meet you all at midday in the stables. At least we have an excuse to be there. A new colt..." Dom said, for Lando's benefit.

"Dan, go back to the stables. Keep the knife with you, and hide yourself, lad, if anyone not belonging there should call. Hide yourself well. Horsa will help you, I am sure. Now go!"

The three younglings hurried out of the room, and Dom sat down and pulled on his boots. "We will wait until it is considered a decent time to ask where the Aetheling may be - if no-one does it before us. I must think what to do next."

Lando stuck his head out of the door and looked about him. There was still no-one about. "Where is Ragno?" he asked, coming back into the room.

"With a cook," Dom said, shortly. "He should be here soon. We'll see if he has heard anything."

Ragno appeared a short while later, and was surprised at Dom's question. "No, there is no talk in the kitchens," he said, putting the tray on the table. "Everything is quiet. If there is any bother, I have not seen it. D'you wish me to go about and listen? I might hear something to the point."

"Yes, but do not look as if you are seeking information. Take some of my clothing to the laundresses, then you can see if Lighe's clothing is still there. I am still far from certain that he has been abducted naked, as Dan insists. He may have his own reasons for absenting himself."

As the door shut behind Ragno, Lando sat and began to eat. "Do you truly think that he has not been taken? Dan seemed so convinced of it. The knife..."

Dom poured himself some ale and drank a few mouthfuls before answering. "I am not sure of anything at the moment. It remains to be seen. I will not rush into hasty speech. Let us see how things transpire."

*****

Lighe woke to near darkness. He did not know where he was, except it was cold there. There was a small, barred window, high up, with a little dawn light filtering through it. Only one door, and the room was small. There was a bucket in the corner and a stool. That was all.

He was lying on a bed, naked, covered with a blanket. His head felt as if it would burst, and his jaw was throbbing. There were several bumps on his head and Lighe wondered what could have happened after the masked bully had hit him, to cause such injuries.

He was very thirsty, and - he did not mind admitting it to himself - afraid. Who had taken him - and why? He pulled the blanket up to his chin, and closed his eyes again. His whole body ached, but his head most of all. He was tired. He fell asleep despite himself.

He was woken later by loud voices approaching the door. A bolt was drawn, and Leofric stepped inside. For an instant Lighe thought his cousin had come to rescue him, but he knew this could not be so. Leofric was smiling, and Lighe knew that smile.

"I said I'd have you, coz, willing or not, and so I shall. Come, I have a better place for you than this. Follow me."

Lighe slid off the bed and put his hand on the wall to steady himself as the room spun around him. Leofric crossed the small room in two strides and grabbed Lighe's arm, and turned him towards the gathering light. "No dissimulation, now. I did not hit you that hard, my princeling."

Then he looked carefully at Lighe, and shrugged. "It looks as if you received some further bumps to your head along the way. I should have ordered the cart to be padded. Come!"

Lighe felt his way along the narrow passageway, and climbed the stone stairs. He was pushed into a large room where he saw a massive fur-covered bed, and other furnishings that seemed out of place. He had no doubt this place had been prepared for his arrival.

Leofric thrust Lighe towards the bed. "Get in, and stay there if you value your life. These men have orders to slit your throat if you try to escape. See you listen, little cousin. I want you living so I can take my pleasure of you. I would be very angry if you were to die before this happens."

He smiled his wolf's-head smile, and made for the door. "The door will be locked, and a guard set outside. I will return for you, my pretty, as soon as I can. Now I must return to the castle and join in the search for you. I will not try very hard to find you, as you may guess. Bring him some mead!" he said sharply to the man standing behind him, "and a little bread and meat. I do not want him fainting in my arms like a green girl."

Lighe stared at his cousin, his face a careful mask of unconcern and defiance. "If you think to frighten me, Leofric, I tell you it is beyond your power to do so. I will be here when you return, and we shall see who has the upper hand then!"

Leofric strode back across the room and grabbed Lighe by the neck, pressing him hard against the bed-head. "Do not think you can gainsay me, Aetheling! I shall have my fill of you before you die. You have my oath on it!"

He thrust Lighe back onto the bed and left the room. The guard closed the door and Lighe heard the bolt slide shut. He leant against the bed-head and closed his eyes again. His head was spinning and he felt sick. He did not think he could eat, but a drink would be welcome.

In a few minutes the man returned accompanied by another, somewhat younger. The young man handed Lighe a nightshirt. It was obviously one of Leofric's own, as it was far larger than were his.

Lighe put it on, glad of the extra warmth and the cover. He was never one for parading his naked body before men - especially men who stared so avidly at him as did this young ruffian. He drank the mead, and lay down again.

The men left the meat and jug, and Lighe heard the bolt snick again. He sighed. At least he would live until Leofric returned. His mind was filled with cotton-wool, and he had a boiling pit of anger in his belly, but forced it down. There would be time for that later - he hoped. It might be his rage would prove useful, but in what way he was too tired to think.

He needed rest so that he would be fit for his next encounter with Leofric. But for now he would sleep.

*****

Dom emerged from his room after breaking his fast, and wandered about the castle, his eyes and ears open for any sign that Lighe's absence had been noted, and he had set Lando to do the same. There was none. Folks went about their appointed tasks in the same way as always, and Dom discerned no difference in the demeanour of any one with whom he came into contact. Lando joined him in the scriptorium, and as it was quiet there, they talked quietly, discussing what to do next.

"I cannot see what we can do, Dom," Lando said in hushed tones, an alert eye ever on the doorway. "If no-one proclaims that he is missing, how may we do anything?"

Dom frowned. "They are bound to notice soon, if he remains absent. His father cannot fail to notice he is not here. At least I might say that of any loving father, but it seems to me all the feeling Cerdic shows for Lighe is a mighty impatience bordering on disdain."

Lando chewed an elegantly trimmed nail. "Leofric has mentioned that Cerdic is frustrated by Lighe's...beauty...one might say. Although he has proved himself in manly sports and is valiant in battle, still his father thinks him an undersized runt, too pretty to be a real man, and certainly not fit to rule the kingdom. He did not say as much directly, of course, but I could infer a lot from his own attitude to the Aetheling."

"There seems to be a fire burning within Leofric, and the fuel is Lighe. Several times as he has come to climax, it is Lighe's name he has cried out. I do not know that he even notices it, so filled with this fire is he; there is little room in him for anything else. Whatever we are speaking about, the subject will turn, in the end, to Lighe."

They left the castle for the stables shortly before noon. They spoke loudly of examining the new colt so as all should know why they went there, and for the first time, Dom said aloud that he wondered if the Aetheling would be there.

"That should plant the seed," Dom said quietly as they walked down the path to the stable block. "Everyone knows how Lighe feels about his horses, and the hounds. They will expect him to visit the mare and the colt. When we return we may say that the ostlers reported that he has not been there since yestere'en."

The two men found old Horsa waiting discreetly for them at the doors. "I've put them in an empty part of the stables, my lord," he said to Dom, but including Lando in his look.

"You may trust the Lord Siglandus, man. Already he has been working in the Aetheling's interest."

Horsa treated Lando to a penetrating stare that made the young man blush, so intent was it. "Aye, so I heard, my lord. Anyhow, the younglings are hopping round like three fleas in a fit in there. I trust you may have some task as'll keep them out of mischief. They love Lighe, y'see, as do many of us as sees they way he is treated by those who should know better. I've listened to the children - is he truly missing?"

"I do not know. Certainly he has not been seen since I was with him last night, but that cannot be unusual, surely? None of the horses have been taken, I suppose?"

Horsa shook his head at Dom. "No, indeed. That's what worries me. If he left here, he left alone. Not a horse or hound missing, m'lord."

They had reached the unused part of the stables, and the three youths were found sitting on upturned carts and barrels talking animatedly. When they saw Dom and Lando they bounced to their feet and after bowing, all started speaking at once.

Dom stemmed the flow, pulled up a crate and sat down. "One at a time. Dan?"

"Nothing, lord. I have been here all this while since you sent me, and no-one unusual has come near, except a couple of servants for their masters' mounts. It's a fine morning for a ride."

"I have nothing to report, either, my lord," Rufe said in a disconsolate fashion. "I did ask my brother Swefred if he was going out riding with the Aetheling this morning. He was one of those that went riding earlier. I could see no harm in asking, as it was a thing he often did. But he shook his head and laughed. He said Lighe would not be interested in going where he and Alchfrith were headed. Girls, he said."

Emgel blushed, but said nothing until Rufe had finished. "I think I might have something, but it isn't much."

The two other youngsters looked at her in some surprise. "You said nothing, Em..." Rufe began, but Dom stopped him. "Go on," he said, twisting a piece of straw between his elegant fingers.

"Well," she began, looking important, and smiling at Dom and Lando. "My maid is troubled with her...belly, sometimes, and often needs to visit the privy in the night. She told me - I didn't ask her..." she said quickly, glancing at Dom, in case he should berate her..."that she had gone out twice during the night, and the second time she saw a cart at the bottom of the pathway to the side door, by the dungheap. There were two men with it."

"She didn't take much notice. She thought it might be the night soil men come to take manure for the gardens, but as she got to my room, she looked out of the window and saw the same cart drive past the main castle door, and there were now six men with it. Beyond wondering why six men were needed to remove a wagon of dung, she said nothing else. Do you think it important, my lord?"

Dom looked and Lando and frowned. "Yes, I do think it important, Em. And please, all of you, call me Dom, and this is Lando. If we are in this together, there is no time for the niceties of etiquette. And you call the Aetheling Lighe, after all."

"That's because he's our friend, and has time for what other folks term ‘stupid children’.” Em said defiantly. "But it will be easier not to stand on ceremony. What should I do next?"

"Go back to your room and send for your maid. Pretend you have a headache or some such thing and ask that she sit with you. Then mention it again, in a casual manner. No pointed questions. Make a joke of it - see if she noticed anything else."

"Dan, I think you should stay here with Horsa and help tend the horses. No one will miss you, unless Lighe comes back unexpectedly, that is. Rufe, go about your daily business as usual. We'll meet here, this time tomorrow, unless something happens in the meantime."

"Now, Horsa, I think we'll take a ride to blow the cobwebs off. Saddle up for us, will you?"

They were riding out of the main gate when Dom pointed to the cart tracks in the dirt. "They went west, coz. Only one set of wheeltracks that are more or less fresh and untrampled. I wonder what we'd find if we went that way."

They saw two riders approaching. It was Swefred and his companion, who both reined in and asked in a pleasant fashion when there should be more wrestling. Dom smiled and indicated that it would be soon, then asked, casually, "Orleans and I were thinking of exploring the countryside a little. We thought we would go west. Is that a good ride?"

Swefred laughed. "If you've a liking for tumbledown old buildings and barren rocks, yes. There is nothing there, any longer. It used to be a settlement in my grandfather's day, but it is all ruins now. You'd be better going east, towards the nearest shore. There is a fine run of flat ground, and the hills behind it are pretty. This island is not so very large, but has some pretty spots, if you like that sort of thing."

The two groups separated, and Dom and Lando proceeded slowly. "Ragno said Lighe's clothing had been with the laundresses. He offered to take them to his room as he was passing and they gave him what Dan had said they had."

Dom glanced at his cousin. "I cannot believe he went anywhere naked unless he was forced. It seems to me, coz, that he was in that cart. The only problem is, how are we going to find him?"

Lando scratched his head. "We could follow the tracks. The cart must be somewhere."

"But surely they will see us coming? We have to be more subtle than that. We'll take a short ride and then return to my room and think of a plan. Surely two such nimble minds as are ours can light on a way to find him?"

"We will find him - if he still lives," Lando said in a quiet voice, and Dom's belly turned over.

"If he still lives," he agreed, and spurred his horse on to a gallop.