Thanks for the responses guys! I am glad to be back!
Callaigh, you are correct in this assumption. They owe their visions and abilities to their descendance from Luke. There will be a more in depth, in story explanation later. I would say though, don't entirely trust their visions. The mind can still be tainted by madness.
I'm glad you find those aspects intriguing, Alwyn. I think it's interesting as well to consider such cultural changes when playing historical strategy games. Though things like that aren't examined in video games often, it's still fun to imagine. Perhaps I will have to write an interlude on that. As for Aelfhun, we will discover more about him as we go, and concerning Godelina, her importance may not be readily evident, but I can promise that she will be important later on.
Spoiler for GoT Watchers if you haven't watched Ep7...
Quorum Praeteritum XLIV
Late Fall, 1116
Aelfhun was stirred awake by a loud sound as Egelbert rapped against the door. He only gave a loud grunt as answer, and he laid in thought for a moment about his earlier dream. He thought about the purpose of it, and the topic weighed heavy on his mind as he stood up and walked to the door, clothed only as he had been when he fell asleep, which was to say not much, and he looked around for a sign of Wilberht the Hordere.
"Did Wilberht never return?" Aelfhun asked of Egelbert upon not finding his host.
"No, Aelfhun, he did not. I have received word from his aide that we will see him only when we come upon the funeral of the late King Thored."
Aelfhun shook his head in disappointment. "Then I suppose I shall see him there. When is the funeral?"
"It is to begin at today's noon."
"I see. What of the coronation and marriage?"
Egelbert froze for a moment and licked his lips. "Um...the coronation has already passed. It was held only a day after Thored's death, and the marriage was held the day after that."
Aelfhun clenched his fists behind his back in anger, and swore many curses internally against Egelbert, who he could now think of only as a fool, never having been one to take easily a lack of intelligence, or even general inferiority. Yet also Aelfhun was confused, for the Kings Thored and Willelm had held grand ceremonies of coronation, summoning all the land to see them crowned. "Why? And why did you not tell me?"
"I...I thought you knew, young lord. And...and as for the purpose of such an early coronation, I can only guess by what Wilberht has told me, and that which he had to say suggested the purpose was...fear." Egelbert answered, stammering his words. He was indeed not known for his wise mind, but rather for his good heart and swordsmanship. Yet Aelfhun did not give mind to that anymore, and rather realized why the coronation had been held at so early a date.
It became obvious quickly to Aelfhun that the purpose was indeed fear. Fear of Godefroy de Montbrai, cousin to the King Ealdred and son of Robere de Montbrai and Eadwine Leofricing, for a great faction had formed in the name of Godefroy and his claim to the throne. Many feared the coming of Ealdred, for he was known as a foreigner, and was named as Ealdred the Grécisc, which is to mean Ealdred the Greek, and also many great rumors spread of his parenting, many thinking him a bastard son of Blanche Capet, and as such many did not see him as the rightful claimant to the throne, nor a good enough man for it.
Godefroy also had great favor among the Normans, for though he was of Leofricing motherhood, his male heritage was of great honor, for both his Father and Grand-Uncle were men known by their great service to King Willelm, who was known still in the south as Willelm the Conqueror, a brave man of much military accomplishments and accredited with civilizing the Seaxna.
Indeed, Godefroy even had the backing of the Burgende and their great kingdom, for he had been married to Cecile de Bourgogne, which is to mean Cecile of Burgundy, and she was the daughter of Hugues de Bourgogne, who was known as King of Bourgogne and of Italia and of Arelat, and he had established a mighty empire which was able to defy even the Holy Roman Empire in war, and indeed had before, for it was from the Emperor that Hugues had taken his lands and his independence.
It was thus that Godefroy was a name feared by Ealdred and his court, for many powerful men supported the claim of Godefroy, and even some who were Seaxna, for he had spent much of his life in the court of Ænglalond, and knew well it's lands and it's ways, and thus seemed a better option both to lords and to common men than Ealdred, for though Ealdred was a good man, he was a man of many personal desires, and he had much adopted the ways of the foreign court of Constantinople, and some even said he had adopted their religion, and the nasty tales of wagging tongues only served to make him more of a villain.
Aelfhun knew all this very well, for even his Father, Deorwine, had proclaimed his support for Godefroy, and was indeed held as a key piece in the grand plan of Godefroy de Montbrai, for Deorwine was known in title as the Keeper of the Coast and the Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports, and as such had a great and vast trading network, and also held control of a formidable fleet of ships. Deorwine was also known for his unnatural skill in cunning and shrewdness, which made him a great asset to any who would listen to his tales of mysterious dreams and talking spirits.
Wilberht knew also of this plot, for he had hidden well the missing taxes of Deorwine for years, driven on by fear of Godefroy's great armies and also by his greed, for Deorwine gave much to his friends, and indeed Wilberht was given many of the missing taxes of Deorwine for his own treasuries, and had indeed built much of his house and influence upon Deorwine's wealth and foreknowledge, a thing he feared and envied.
And so it was that Ænglalond was held tightly by intrigue, plotting, and the looming threat of a civil war, with Ealdred and Godefroy both determined to be Kings.
"So, the King truly does fear the coming of Godefroy de Montbrai? Good." Aelfhun said.
At this, Egelbert grimaced, for he was not convinced of the plight of Godefroy, and did not dwell oft in rumors, but rather relied upon what he saw firsthand. "Perhaps you speak too boldly, Aelfhun. You should not speak at all of these things while in the center of Ealdred's power, for Godefroy is not yet won, and may yet not win."
Aelfhun frowned, for he could hear the doubt in Egelbert's words. "Why? Are there spies within your nephew's house?" he said, his eyes stern. He had become paranoid now of Egelbert, for already he did not like the man, and now he spoke with little confidence in a man with many thousands of others behind him.
"Perhaps there are."
Now the trust of Aelfhun was destroyed entirely, yet it did not show upon his face, as it had become blank and expressionless. It was then that Aelfhun, regretting his exchange with Egelbert almost in it's entirety, turned back to his quarters. As he did, he noticed again the heraldic device of the shield in the corner. He paused for a moment in contemplation, remembering his earlier dream, and many things began to make sense. "Is this the heraldry of Wilberht or of you?"
"It is Wilberht's." answered Godelina, who had just amassed the bravery to emerge from her hidden corner. Her face was red with nervousness. She had already dressed and prepared, seeking to look as pretty as she could. She sought to soothe the palpable tension between Aelfhun and her grand uncle so as not to jeopardize what she thought was a soon to bud relationship, yet Egelbert gave her a glaring look.
Aelfhun turned his head to look to the source of the new voice, and Godelina tried to put on her prettiest smile. Aelfhun, however, was unimpressed by her efforts, for though she was a kind hearted woman, he did not see her for that, and indeed he did not even know of her kind heart, and rather judged her upon her exterior, which was of much weight. He simply grunted in answer, for he was deep in thought, and he then returned to his room. Egelbert looked inquisitively as Godelina, having watched the exchange and seen well the signs. It was rare that Godelina emerged to speak with strangers, and often it meant only one thing, especially with one so handsome or close in age as Aelfhun.
Egelbert grabbed his grand-niece's arm and shook his head. "Do not look upon him again with desire, for he is of close relation to you, young Godelina, and he may perhaps lose his head soon." he said in a hushed tone. Godelina sighed and nodded, and soon retreated again into another room.
Aelfhun, standing in his room, opened the small chest of gold inside. His dream of the previous night weighed heavy upon his mind, for he had many of the same sort, and all had served as warnings. They were symbolic signs of the future, and he had learned to trust in them, so much so that they often drove his decisions. He was careful, of course, as he did not seek to fall into the trap of his Father, Deorwine, who had been driven mad by his desire for supernatural power, but he thought that even the natural signs pointed to a betrayal by the hands of Egelbert and perhaps those of Wilberht.
When the funeral finally came about later in that day, most were quiet and solemn, as was mandated by the clergy present. As the corpse of the past King was carried to the church, it was surrounded by a grand assembly of men from all corners of Ænglalond which Ealdred was at the head of, leading his Father's war-horse forward towards the Church as was tradition. Though his coronation and marriage had been a quiet affair, he wanted all to publicly mourn his Father as he did, though he knew that many of their pities were lies.
Among this great parade was also Egelbert, Wilberht, Eanwin, Godelina, and Aelfhun, as well as their companions and guards and servants. Wilberht was nearer to the head of the congregation near the King, and near him was also Deorwald, whom he held in respect, and Godfrith, whom he held contempt for. Also among the congregation stood Godefroy de Montbrai, and near him the many men of power who were associated with him, though some sought to distance from him so as to not so readily display their treachery.
As the great parade left the confines of the city of Leowic, they followed the border of the river Tyne towards the Tinaemútha, for Leowic was constructed upon the site once known as Monkchester, and known in our history as Newcastle upon Tyne, and Tinaemútha was ideal for burial, being both no less than three hours away from Leowic's gates and also being the burial place of many ancient Kings of Deiraríce (Diera) and Norðhymbralond (Northumbria).
Though the crowd had been almost completely silent within the confines of Leowic, the sound of murmurings slowly rose during their riverside march, though never higher than the running of an armored man. Godefroy de Montbrai was one of the murmurers, as though a companion of his named as Eudes advised him to stay to the edge of the crowd, nearly touching the water of the Tinae, so as to not risk a blade, Godefroy was intent on moving among the crowd and it's higher members, and quietly speaking with his supporters who were willing to speak with him so openly.
After arriving finally in Tinaemútha, Thored's body was set within the Tinaemútha priory, alongside the likes of Saint Oswine and Osred the Second. After only a few hours, another long walk was made back along the borders of the Tinae, this time to Leowic. After entering the city, the people began to disperse back to their homes, having spent nearly all of the day's daylight burying the King. After this, Wilberht was allowed to return to his home and speak with his guest. When Aelfhun questioned Wilberht during their return, the Hordere simply hushed him, and said they would only speak of matters of plotting and politics when inside the confines of Wilberht's residence.
And so they did, as when Wilberht and Aelfhun and the rest of the group who was of their relation or companionship returned to the residence, Wilberht began to speak frantically and worriedly.
"I assume you know of Godefroy's planned spectacle? If he goes through with it, it may result, to state my opinion simply, in his death. We need to be prepared for such an outcome, but no such plans have been made by Godefroy nor his loyalists that I know of, and for this reason I fear the end of our plotting to be brought about by our own brashness and boldness." Wilberht said, having barely removed his outer layers of heavy clothing.
Aelfhun took a moment before he spoke, removing his outer layers and taking a seat, and contemplating the words of Wilberht seriously. He gestured to a seat for Wilberht, who grinded his teeth, feeling as though he did not have control in his own home, and in spite he took a seat separate from the one Aelfhun had pointed to. It was a petty moment, but Wilberht did not look upon it as such.
As Wilberht sat and settled, Aelfhun began to speak. "Of the event you reference, I know little, unless you mean to suggest that Godefroy's departing from the city is a lethal threat."
"Ealdred the Grécisc is to host a meeting within his castle walls with Godefroy de Montbrai before the month has ended, a meeting to which Godefroy has agreed, and readily. I do not believe he has considered the great dangers which might come about, for Godefroy is known as a threat to the Pretender King, and thus I fear Ealdred might betray his oath and have Godefroy imprisoned or worse might kill him by his own hand." Wilberht explained.
Again, there was a lengthy moment of silence before Aelfhun spoke. In this moment, Egelbert came and seated himself beside Wilberht, but did not speak, for he had heard the conversation of the two in it's beginning. "Do you truly fear Ealdred to be such a villain? I do not think he would break such an oath."
"Would you not kill Godefroy, or at least attempt to imprison him, were you Ealdred? Even if you wouldn't, consider that Ealdred is both a bastard and a seeker of personal desires. He is also not a man of the Pope, but rather, as the rumors tell it, he is of that vile eastern church. I would not put much past the Grécisc."
Aelfhun shook his head and sighed. "Your basis is rumors. I agree he is not of rightful lineage to the throne, and that he is not an able ruler, but I do not think him to be some villain of legend."
"Will you not listen to good reason?", spoke up Egelbert, "Ealdred left Ænglalond to pursue his own personal desires. He left his realm, his people, rebelling against the wishes of even his Father. He has achieved status, fame, wealth as a killer...a mercenary in a foreign empire. Ealdred is a vain, self absorbed, impetuous man. Yes, he is a villain Aelfhun, and we should treat him as such and fear him as such."
"Yet his oath was to God, Egelbert, there is no reason other than common rumor which I fear you have given into to suspect he might have turned against the teachings of the Pope. Besides, if something should happen to Godefroy, his many sons still remain to continue his lineage, and with them the support that was given to Godefroy, and perhaps even more, for his death would show Europe that Ealdred is the villain you fear him to be. For now, however, I believe that a meeting protected by oaths to God is a secure one. We should turn our attention away from that, and to the forming of allies and war plans."
"Fine. I suppose you are right in some capacity." Wilberht said, his voice not expressing the agreement his words did, even as minced as they were. Egelbert simply nodded, sat for a moment, and then offered an excuse for himself and left the room. Aelfhun was somewhat glad at Egelbert's parting, for he had come, even if only in thought and hushed talk with his companions, to associate the phrase Warriorfool with Egelbert.
As the evening continued on nothing was eaten, for a fasting period of three days had been mandated after the funeral and upon it's day, taken after the tradition of Willelm the Bastard, of whom it was said took a fasting period of three days to contemplate the war that had taken place in his name in honor of the fallen Kings of 1065 and 1066. Thored had maintained the tradition, having had three days of fasting after the funeral of Willelm, and now Ealdred continued it.
When finally the group went to their beds and slept, Aelfhun again dreamed of storms and birds, but this time his dream was somewhat different in it's events, or perhaps just clearer. In this dream, the birds seized a ship after beating the storm, and they gave it unto a lion of black fur and a blue mane, and the lion then released a great roar, and from his roar came breath ignited like a great flame which burned the ship and the birds, and the fire began to spread and spread until a black clowd of ash and soot blurred all from vision.