although,‖ Matilda smiled, quite genuinely, and reached out both her hands as she walked over to
Caela, ―I confess I feel most awkward in welcoming this land‘s queen into the presence of its
invader.‖
Caela returned Matilda‘s smile. ―I am but its forgotten queen,‖ she said. ―The wife of two
kings past. Alditha should truly be here.‖
―No,‖ William said, and Matilda was more than a little relieved to hear that his voice was
strong. ― You are this land‘s queen, whatever brief claim Alditha might have to the title. Thus you are here now, not Alditha.‖
He had also walked over, and Caela took her hands from Matilda‘s and held them out for
William.
As William took them, Matilda had the sense that both William and Caela had quite
forgotten she was there.
And again, Matilda‘s only reaction was one of deep curiosity.
What went on here?
―I am sorry about Harold,‖ William said.
Matilda noticed he had not let go of Caela‘s hands.
She nodded, and tears sprang to her eyes.
―It was none of my doing,‖ William said.
―It was Swanne‘s doing,‖ said Caela and Matilda as one, and both women looked at each
other, smiled, and laughed softly, and, in that single moment, became friends and allies.
―Harold told me so much of you,‖ the two women said together, and their laughter
deepened, and whatever awkwardness had been in the chamber dissipated. Caela let William‘s
hands go to lean forward and embrace Matilda.
―Thank you,‖ Caela murmured for Matilda‘s ears only, ―for coming so quickly to
William‘s side. He is whole, thank all the gods.‖
―I would not allow the snake to take him,‖ Matilda muttered, and Caela leaned back, her
face sober now, and nodded at Matilda.
―We should speak later,‖ she said. ―You and I.
―But now,‖ she turned back to William, ―my lord of Normandy, I have come before you
for two reasons.‖
He inclined his head, his black eyes very steady on her face.
―The first,‖ Caela said, ―is to beg for the life of Harold‘s children, and that of his wife,
Alditha. She is currently with child, and fearful that you intend her harm.‖
―I did not wish him dead, Caela. I would have done anything to prevent that.‖
―I know,‖ she said softly.
―I vowed to Harold that Alditha and his children would remain safe, Caela. And so they
shall. As shall you. He asked for your life as well. Did you know that?‖
―I do not fear you, William.‖
Matilda felt that she should say something, if only to reassert her presence in the
chamber. ―William has already hammered his orders into the heads of every one of the Normans
with us,‖ she said. ―They are not to be harmed, and to be given every assistance possible.‖
―Then thank you both,‖ said Caela. ―The safety of Harold‘s family means a great deal to
me. The second reason I stand before you is to hand you London.‖ She paused. ―It is, after all,
yours.‖
Matilda frowned at that. What did Caela mean?
William‘s mouth twitched in a tiny smile. ―Then I will gladly accept London‘s surrender,
madam.‖
―Other members of the witan wait outside. Will you—‖
―No, leave them for now. Perhaps—‖
―Perhaps William and I can remember the more courtly among our manners,‖ Matilda put
in smoothly, ―and offer you a chance to sit and perhaps a cup of fine wine. Will you accept?‖
Caela smiled. ―Gladly, lady.‖
They sat for some time, sipping wine, chatting agreeably, every look, every spoken word
reinforcing Matilda‘s growing belief that her husband and this queen were only re-acquainting
themselves rather than establishing an acquaintance.
William and Caela also focused too much of their discussion on Matilda. What Matilda
had expected (before Caela had actually entered their chamber) was that there would be tense
verbal parrying as the queen tried to ensure the safety of her people and country and William
tried to ensure every concession possible. Instead, Matilda found herself in the slightly surreal
situation of parrying constant questions from both Caela and William as they both tried very
desperately not to engage the other in anything other than banalities about the weather or the
state of the rushes on the floor. Caela asked several score questions about Matilda‘s children, and
about her current pregnancy. William asked Matilda to relate amusing incidents from their life
together, and from that time in their youth when they‘d had to fight so hard to marry against
what felt like all of Europe combined against them.
It was only during this last topic that there came a very deep and personal interaction
between William and Caela.
As Matilda finished relating the three years of struggling with princely and papal
objections, Caela actually looked at William directly.
―How strange for you,‖ she said, ―that you had to spend so much energy and time
fighting for the right to occupy your wife‘s bed. From what I know of you, I should have thought
you would have taken her as you willed and damn all consequences. I had no idea ‗objections‘
had come to mean so much to you.‖
There was a stillness between them as Matilda tried frantically to work out the hidden
meaning in what Caela had just said.
―My sensibilities have changed,‖ William finally said.
―How fortunate for Matilda,‖ said Caela, and now there was a decided edge to her voice.
―There have been deeds in my past that I have come to regret,‖ William said. ―I wish I
had not forced—‖
He stopped suddenly, his eyes sliding his wife‘s way.
You! Matilda thought, her face very calm. You! That”s what you were about to say.
―I have learned from my mistakes,‖ he said, and now his voice was as hard as Caela‘s.
Caela inclined her head towards Matilda. ―Patently, my lord of Normandy.‖
―Matilda,‖ William said very slowly, his eyes first on his goblet of wine and then lifting
to Caela, ―has taught me how greatly I should have treasured…‖
You! Matilda felt like standing and screaming that single word that William was so loath
to utter. Yet for all the implications of this conversation, Matilda still did not feel a single pang
of jealousy or of possessiveness. All she wanted was to somehow discover what these two were
talking about, and how it was—Matilda took a deep breath as she finally allowed the thought to
form in her mind—how it was that William and Caela had come to love each other so deeply.
Then, as Matilda struggled within herself, Caela turned her lovely eyes to the duchess and
said, simply, ―I am sorry…‖
A pause, as Matilda wondered what that apology referred to.
―I am tired,‖ Caela continued, ―and I admit that my reception had worried me so
excessively on the journey to Berkhamsted that now I feel over-weary. I speak nonsense, my
lady. Forgive me.‖
You weren”t speaking nonsense to William, Matilda thought, for you have not begged
forgiveness of him.
―We can find a quiet space for you within this abbey house,‖ Matilda said, ―where you
might rest. Tonight, perhaps, you and your delegation may sup with the duke and myself.‖
Caela inclined her head, but Matilda had not yet done.
She turned to William. ―My lord,‖ she said formally, and she saw the wariness surface in
his eyes. ―My lord‖ was only a title Matilda bothered to use when she wanted something of him.
―My lord, may I request a boon from you?‖
William, still wary, raised an eyebrow.
―I wonder if I might request the presence of Queen Caela within my ladies. Not,‖ she
added hurriedly, shooting Caela her own look of apology, ―as a member of my retinue, but as my
honoured companion and, indeed, my better. It would ensure your safety,‖ she said to Caela, ―if
you remained within the duke‘s company, and would provide me with a companion for whom I
would be most grateful. I would like to know you better, Caela. I…you intrigue me.‖
There, best to be honest.
Caela looked at William.
―You would not object?‖ he said.
She shook her head, and smiled back at Matilda. ―I, too, would like to deepen my
acquaintance with you, Matilda. I will stay a while, gladly.‖
―Good,‖ said Matilda.
That night, when Matilda and William entered their bed, Matilda turned to her husband,
and offered him her mouth.
He made love to her, sweetly and gently, and for that sacrifice, Matilda loved him more
than ever.
FIFTEEN
CAELA SPEAKS
Oh, by all the gods of heaven and hell, I could not believe he was so handsome. Brutus
had been good-looking enough, but his features had been too blunt for true handsomeness. But
William, William…I lay in my bed that night, grateful for its privacy, and thought of him in bed
with his wife, and I envied her so desperately it became a physical pain within my breast.
I had not expected this: not his handsomeness, his vitality, nor my instinctive, gut longing