Great Rite

The archers on the fort's walls had moved around to fire at the enemy struggling in the sticky mud. At my order the war band kept to the dry sand leaving a clear field of fire for our archers and those from the fort.

A few of the raiders escaped but we had slaughtered hundreds. There had been a cost. We had lost half a dozen of our men and about twenty were wounded. I asked Thane Manfred to take half the war band to the raider's ships to see if we could overcome those left as guards on the ships. I and the rest of the war band killed all the wounded enemies. We daren't keep so many as potential slaves. We dragged all the bodies above the high tide mark before stripping them of all their arms and possessions. Many had gold ornaments and good swords.

By the time one of the fort gates had been cleared so that we could enter I was feeling weak from loss of blood and that arrow was still fixed in my shoulder. I ordered that the enemies' bodies should be thrown into a pit dug many hundreds of years ago by people mining flint, and earth thrown after them. I had to use a broken spear to prop myself up as I slowly walked through the fort gate. Gudrun met me. She supported my left side as we made our way to the Royal Hall. Once inside she called Bertha. They sat me down with my head against Bertha's breasts. Gudrun cut through the arrow shaft with her knife and pulled the two halves out. Bertha was all that was stopping me from falling as Gudrun cut off my clothing before wrapping my shoulder tightly.

I was barely aware as my four wives carried me to bed. Once there, and able to rest, I asked for Thane Manfred. He came within half an hour with the great news that we had captured fifteen ships intact. They would be moved to under the walls of the fort when the tide permitted.

I asked him to lead the war band while I was recovering.

"The war band? Of course I will, King Alfred. But..."

"The Kingship?" I looked directly at Edith. "I have a Queen. She has three deputies. She will rule."

Manfred bowed his head.

"Yes, King Alfred. I will obey her as I would you."

"Thank you, Manfred." I said.

Edith was shocked. I pointed to the ornate sword of kingship on the mattress beside me.

"You can't," she protested.

"I can," I replied. "And so can you. Pick up that sword and wear it. Do it! That's an order from your King."

"She will," Bertha said, "with our help if she needs it, and advice from the Witan."

"One last thing, Edith. Who decided the tactics on the wall? They were great."

"Manfred. I asked him," Edith said. "He told me to let the boys loose their arrows at a hundred yards and leave the wall to the older men and the women. We were to wait until the raiders were ten yards away. We had marked ten yards with a line of small stones and we all held off until their feet met the line."

"Well done, and thank you, Manfred." I said.

"I had my doubts that the women had the resolve to hold back that long," Manfred said, "but they did. No one will now question the right of women to be on our fort wall."

"But they must NOT, never, go outside to face the enemy in the open..." I said.

I slipped into unconsciousness as I heard Edith answer "We won't."

+++

I had expected to be out of action for a day or two at most, then sore but I developed a fever. Sometimes I was sweating while a wife or two cooled my body with damp cloths; sometimes I was very cold and warmed by naked Queens wrapped around me. The severity of the fever made me very weak and barely aware of my surroundings.

I became aware that a warm breast had been pushed into my mouth and milk was dribbling down my throat. I'm not a baby! I pulled my head away, opened my eyes and looked up at the woman. It was Ingrid, one of the married handmaidens. She tried to put her breast back in my mouth. I resisted.

"Alfred," Ingrid said, "you need it. You are weak from lack of food and have been unable to eat. My milk will help you."

"But..." My voice was little more than a croak. "Your child needs..."

"My child doesn't need my milk, unlike you. I have milk, you need it, and why not take it from a woman who loves you?" Ingrid said.

'Loves me'? I didn't understand. I had married four of my former maidservants but not Ingrid.

Gudrun spoke from behind my head. I was leaning against her naked breasts. "Ingrid loves you, Alfred. All your handmaidens love you, and they're not alone. You are popular with almost all the women of our kingdom. Many would offer breast milk to you, but Ingrid is here. Take her milk."

I slowly turned my head to look at Gudrun and at Ingrid. They were worried for me.

"Alfred! Remember the Great Rite. I order you to take Ingrid's breast!" Gudrun's words were forceful but spoken quietly.

I had promised to obey my Queens in private. I opened my mouth to take Ingrid's breast and drink her milk. As I drank, two women's tears dropped on my head.

A couple of days later Helga explained that Ingrid's baby had died of the sweating sickness, and her husband had been killed by the raiders. She had come to see me for a few sympathetic words, had seen how weak I was and acted. As her milk dribbled down my throat, Ingrid's tears had been washing my head.

Eventually I managed the few sympathetic words Ingrid had wanted but she had found that looking after me helped her more. She had a purpose that she had lost with her husband and child. She defended me ferociously from everyone except my Queens.

From then on I began to improve. I slept most of the time with a naked Queen holding me or beside me. Ingrid came several times a day to give me her breast, and other handmaidens came with bowls of slop which they slowly spooned into my mouth. It seemed as if all my handmaidens, married or not, wanted to press their naked bodies against me. Naked? Bertha once explained when I was slightly more coherent that it was easier for them to feed me naked. If the slop was spilled it wiped off a naked body but would stain clothing. I wasn't convinced. I think the handmaidens just wanted to press their naked flesh against me to show that they would be willing lovers.

It took me nearly a week before I was awake and conscious most of a day. I had noticed that Edith had come to see me much less frequently than my other wives. One day, as I was resting against a naked Helga, Edith came into the room. She slumped down on the edge of the mattresses. She laid the sword of Kingship aside with a sigh of relief and stripped herself naked.

"Alfred," she said as she pressed her nude body against me, "I had never appreciated how hard it is to rule. The Witan..." She made a face, "...are a load of old women. They hate change and resist it as much as they can. Taking orders from a Queen sticks in their throats. I have to cajole, persuade, and argue just to get the simplest point across to them."

I stretched out my hand to take Edith's.

"They are the same for me, Queen Edith. Of course they will find it hard to obey a Queen. They didn't like obeying me, and you're a woman even if you are Queen. They're not used to listening to women, let alone taking orders from them."

"I'd like to put some women on the Witan," Edith said.

I shook my head.

"That wouldn't help you, Edith, or me. Our women can be even more resistant to change than our men. Remember how hard you four Queens had to work to persuade the women to use bows? Even with the support of Helena and the Goddess, you barely won."

"He's right, Edith," Helga said from behind my head. "The Witan has accepted massive changes since Alfred became King. They might have been reluctant but they did and do support him including accepting you, Edith, as the temporary ruler. Think what the Witan would have been like if it was made up of our grandmothers."

Edith sighed.

"You're both right. I want to hand power back to Alfred. Advising him I can do. Acting alone and taking the blame is hard."

"Being a King, or a Queen who is ruling, is hard. That is why Manfred refused to be King. He didn't think he could perform the role competently. He might have been wrong, and I didn't know just how difficult it can be to be the King. In a few days I'll be fit enough to move around and I can take back the role. You can be my advisor again."

"And mistress?" Edith asked.

"You and the other Queens are, in private, but in public I am the King. Now you know some of what that means."

"And I hate it," Edith said.

"Sometimes, so do I. It is my duty to my people to do the best for them especially when they don't like what I order."

"I've been jealous of Ingrid," Edith said suddenly.

"Ingrid? Why?" I asked, puzzled.

"Because she's been stuffing her tit in your mouth several times a day and I couldn't."

"You could. You may not have Ingrid's milk but you have delightful breasts..."

What I might have said was suddenly stopped by a mouthful of an Edith tit. Helga squashed her breasts either side of my head. I was surrounded by soft warm breasts.

"What I really want," Edith said above my head, "is to make love to Alfred as we did for the Goddess."

"I'd like that too," Helga agreed, "but his wound hasn't healed yet."

I couldn't comment. My mouth was too full of breast.

"If you support his left shoulder, Helga, and I sit astride him, I think that would work."

My feeble protest was ignored.

"Shut up, slave," Edith said. "Just rest back against Helga and enjoy."

I did enjoy it until I became close to a climax. My wounded shoulder was throbbing painfully as Edith bumped her backside up and down on me. I nearly fainted as I shuddered into emission.

Edith was still impaled on my fading erection as Ingrid came in.

"The Witan wants all four Queens," Ingrid said. "They've had an approach from another Kingdom wanting to take over the raiders' ships we captured."

"The Witan?" Edith said. "We'll get dressed. Ingrid, please stay with King Alfred until one or more of us return."

Helga lowered me to the mattresses. Edith was buckling the sword belt around her. She looked at me.

"What would you do, Alfred?"

"Simple. Leave the negotiation to the Witan. They have some very good negotiators and the wisdom of their ages. Agree to let them do the talking. But, Edith, you are wearing the sword of Kingship. You have to decide until I'm recovered. You have my advice but the decision rests with the Queens."

Edith bent over me and kissed me.

"I'll follow your advice, Alfred. Obey Ingrid while we're gone."

Edith and Helga went.

Ingrid knelt down beside me.

"How's the shoulder?" she asked.

"Throbbing and hurting," I replied.

"Stupid Queens!" Ingrid said forcefully. "You weren't fit enough for sex. Just stay there and I'll breastfeed you again as you go back to sleep."

Sleep? How could I sleep with my shoulder hurting as much as it was? I had underestimated Ingrid. Once her breast was in my mouth and milk was trickling down my throat my pain diminished. As her milk stopped flowing she rested my head against her soft breast. She hugged me gently as I went to sleep.

I woke up hearing Ingrid abusing Edith who had returned with Gudrun.

"You may be Queen, Edith. He is your slave. But you hurt him! You should be ashamed of yourself."

Edith burst into tears.

"I didn't mean..."

"But you were stupid, thoughtless..." Ingrid continued.

"I'm here..." I started to say. My words were cut short as Ingrid hugged me fiercely to her.

"Shut up!" Ingrid said. I had to. Her breast was squashed across my whole face and I couldn't breathe. I scrabbled with my left arm to push Ingrid away enough to get some air.

"Ouch!" I said. "I know you love me, but gently, please?"

Ingrid relaxed her grip and kissed my forehead.

"Sorry, Alfred," she said.

"And I'm sorry too," Edith said, kissing my cheek.

"He's not just yours, Edith. He belongs to all the handmaidens, and the women, and the people of the Kingdom. We need him fit and well again."

That was a long speech for Ingrid. She pushed a leaking breast back into my mouth, gently this time.

I listened. Ingrid made sure I couldn't speak. Edith apologised again and told me that the Witan had been pleased that the Queens had given them responsibility for the disposal of the raiders' ships. They intended to negotiate with a neighbouring Kingdom. What they wanted to get was more metalworking skills, more metal to work with, and if possible an agreement with the sea raiders to leave both Kingdoms alone. Each of the fifteen ships had been a considerable investment for the sea raiders. Losing them had been a major disaster, more than the slaughter of that particular band of attackers.

+++

Three days later I was walking carefully around for a couple of hours each day. Ingrid was always at my side ready to support me if I became too tired. She insisted that Queen Edith should continue to rule for a few more days. She berated me kindly but firmly if I suggested I was fit enough. Ingrid was right. I wasn't.

The King's companions honoured Ingrid as my fiercest defender, if only with words. One of them even carved a wooden sword for her to wear. He had asked one of the Queens to write on it with a red hot poker. It read "Ingrid, King's Companion". She accepted it in the spirit that it was meant. They had made her one of the King's official escort.

+++

A month later, several weeks after I had resumed the Kingship, we had worked out roles for my four Queens as my deputies. Edith's responsibility was the war band, the training of all our people to weapons including the women, and the weapon makers. Bertha looked after the farmers, fishermen and workers on the land. Gudrun was learning about our artisans and workmen. Helga's role was liaison with the temple, the domestic arrangements within the fort and most importantly, the education not just of children but of all our people. All four of them were working with small groups from the Witan. The older men of the Witan were showing that they possessed a wide range of knowledge that was now being passed on.

Ingrid had become my secretary, the coordinator and recorder of the formal meetings not just of the King and Queens but the Witan. She was badgering the older members of the Witan to tell her about decisions made before I had become King, decisions that influenced our current actions. Helga and the priestesses made copies of Ingrid's records so that the knowledge wouldn't be lost. The administration of the kingdom was more effective than it had ever been. My role? I could plan for the longer future if the raiders stayed away.

+++

Our crops this autumn were good. We had enough grain to store more than a bare tenth. Our negotiations about the raiders' captured ships had led to mutual cooperation with the neighbouring kingdom. They were training new metalworkers for us; we were training their carpenters, and a treaty had been made with SOME of the sea raiders.

Between the combined artisans' skills of the two kingdoms, with information from the old Roman writings stored in the temple, we were trying to reconstruct some of the Roman military siege weapons. Our first attempt at a catapult had been ridiculously weak and had fallen apart after the first three trial shots. We were learning, not just about Roman war machines, but about their engineering and agriculture. It frustrated me that we were so incompetent by comparison with those old Romans. Even our newly made roof tiles broke too easily.

Our people were happy. We had a good harvest. The sweating sickness had passed with only a few deaths. Ingrid was still mourning her baby, as were a few other women, but the deaths could have been many more.

When the first autumn storm arrived with no sign of the sea raiders our vigilance might have slackened. I, Edith and Manfred made sure it didn't. We had sentries posted day and night. Our coastline was constantly watched. Edith and Manfred were trying longer spears for the women on the fort's walls. They were lighter than the spears the war band used but had a longer shaft. I thought they might be too long, but left the two of them to their trials.

I was able to travel around our kingdom to visit the various villages. All were protected by ditches, ramparts and wooden palisades but were not as safe as the old Roman fort. I encouraged them to consider replacing the wood with stone walls. That would take decades to do with our tiny number of half competent masons. We don't have the resources that were available to the Romans.

I was back in the fort in bed with Edith when a sentry thought he had heard something in the hour before dawn. Gudrun came to tell me. I

started to get up.

"Stay here," Edith said. "Wait until dawn. You have unfinished business with me."

"Sorry, Edith," I replied. "I need to go."

"Stay, Alfred!" Edith said forcefully. "That's an order and you can't refuse an order from your Queen."

"I can, and do," I answered shortly. "My duty as a King overrides my submission to you and the Goddess."

Edith was angry as I left.

I joined the sentry on the wall. He was puzzled because the sounds had come from inland. When dawn came we knew that the raiders had returned. We thought it was too late in the season for them to be on the sea. We were wrong. Not only were they on the sea but they attacked us from inland. They had landed where our kingdom ends in wasteland, circled inland and attacked from the high ground. Manfred and I led out the war band to confront them but attacking uphill was more difficult. We thought we were winning when more raiders landed from the sea. This time it was high tide and they could beach their ships on the dry sandy beach.

We were trapped between the two sets of raiders. We formed into a defensive circle as they surrounded us. We were too far from the fort for even skilled archers to shoot. Gradually we were being worn down. After wielding my sword for a couple of hours my right shoulder was showing that it wasn't fully recovered. I sheathed the sword and picked up a double handed axe dropped by one of the dead raiders. I could use that.

Manfred and I had decided that we had to make a break for the fort. Even if we were trapped against its walls we would have the enemy only on one side of us. Those inside the fort could shoot over us. I was at the head of the wedge trying to break out. That is where the King should be, backed by his companions. Our progress was blocked by a massive raider fighting with an axe even larger than mine. I parried his strokes but each one jarred my axe and produced pain in my shoulder. I was losing.

Suddenly he staggered. Three spearheads came through his chest from behind. I struck with my axe where his neck meets the shoulder, burying my axe deep into his body, but I think he was already dying before that.

The raiders pulled away and began running towards their ships. We let them go. After several hours of fighting we had no energy left to run after them. Behind the giant raider stood three of my Queens, Bertha, Gudrun and Helga holding their bloodied spears. Edith was a few steps behind them leaning on a broken spear shaft.

"What are you doing here?" I asked.

"Saving our King," Bertha replied.

"And disobeying you, like you disobeyed me," Edith said as she hobbled up. The skirt of her dress was ragged and blood was running down her leg. I looked at it. She lifted her skirt to show a clean sword cut on her thigh.

"Ouch," I said.

"Ouch indeed," Edith said. "But it was worth it. We've saved most of the war band. We left Ingrid in command of half the women, mainly the older ones who hadn't trained with spears. They could have still kept the raiders out, even if all of us had died. But we women didn't die."

"No. You saved the day. We were losing, and would have lost but for you."

"But we disobeyed the King," Helga said.