An Ultimatum
King Sigefrith did find the Queen the night that she ran away. In truth, once she had made her little scene, she was rather frightened about being out alone at night, and she could swear she had seen a light shining briefly in the old, abandoned church. The King found her wandering in the road and took her home. But still she insisted she would rather sleep on the bench than in a warm bed with him. Naturally, it was Sigefrith who ended up sleeping on the bench.
Sigefrith was desperate. He finally decided to ask the Countess for advice. Colburga seemed to be the wisest woman he had ever met, and he thought she would know what to do, especially since the Queen was her friend.
“Sigefrith, you’re being a fool. She’s behaving like a child, and you’re treating her like a rational adult. What Maud needs is a sound spanking. But you know, there’s nothing wrong with either of you that a couple of babies won’t fix. Why don’t you have children?”
“She won’t even let me touch her.”
The Countess sighed. She could hardly encourage Sigefrith to force himself on his wife, even though she suspected that was all it would take to break down the wall between them. Colburga couldn’t get her to admit it, but she knew that Maud was growing fond of her husband. Still, she had been resisting him for so long that her pride was preventing her from admitting it now. She didn’t want to appear to give in. Colburga didn’t see how she could get anywhere with either of them.
Then she had an idea.
“Sigefrith, do you tell your wife you love her?”
“All the time.”
“Perhaps that’s the problem.”
“Pardon me?”
“Maud knows that you will go on loving her no matter what she does to you, no matter how badly she treats you.”
Sigefrith hung his head.
“What do you think she would do if you stopped loving her?”
“Celebrate?”
“Don’t be sarcastic. I think she would be very afraid.”
“Afraid?”
“Right now she is confident that she has your love, and that it will be available to her whenever she decides she wants to accept it.”
“But she doesn’t even want it.”
“Trust me, Sigefrith. What Maud needs is to consider what her world would be like if you stopped loving her. Let her realize how much it means to her by making her think she will lose it.”
Sigefrith thought for a moment. “You think I should make her believe I don’t love her anymore.”
“Not quite… I just want you to let her think she could lose you if she keeps up her bad behavior.”
“How?”
“I shall have to let you figure that out for yourself.”
“And what if she does celebrate?”
Colburga didn’t answer.
“Very well. I shall try.”
Later that evening, Sigefrith met Maud in the kitchens. As usual, she greeted him politely and then pretended he wasn’t in the room. Finally Sigefrith said, “Maud, I need to talk to you.”
“Hmm?” she said, not looking up.
“Look at me!”
Maud turned, surprised at his tone of voice. He had never lost patience with her before.
“Why are we doing this?”
“Doing…what?” she asked weakly.
“Pretending we are married when in fact we can hardly stand each other?”
“But you – I mean – ”
“What?”
“This is what you wanted!” she snapped, recovering her poise. “I never asked you to marry me.”
“True. I suppose that was unfair. But let’s consider our situation today. You know, after a long time of wanting something you can’t have, you start to realize you don’t want it so much any more. Like that story about the fox and the grapes.”
“The – the who?”
“You know, where the fox keeps trying to reach the grapes hanging just out of reach, and then he realizes that they are probably just sour anyway, and gives up?”
“The – but the – ”
“Here’s what I am proposing. You can’t stand being around me. I can’t stand being around someone who can’t stand being around me. You want to run away, but I don’t want anything to happen to you while you are my responsibility. So I think the best thing for both of us would be if you were to enter a convent. It’s probably not the life you dreamed for yourself, and I’m sorry for that, but it’s the best I can offer you. I shall send money and furs and fruit and everything you will need to be comfortable. Agreed?”
“But – I – ”
“I shall even send the Earl to arrange things with you tomorrow, so that you won’t have to speak with me again. How does that sound?”
“But I don’t mean – ”
“That will do, Maud. I have no desire to discuss this. Now good night. I’m going to bed. If I don’t see you again, I – ” He choked. “I bid you peace.”
He left her standing in the kitchen, and the hurt and surprise that radiated from her dark eyes seemed to burn his back as he walked away.
He got undressed and laid himself down in bed, but his throat was so tight he could scarcely breathe. What had he just done? What if she agreed to enter the convent after all? What if he never saw her again? He remembered Colburga saying, “Trust me,” and he wondered if she was really as wise as she seemed at first.
A few minutes later – or a few hours, he was never sure – he heard cautious feet on the ladder. He hopped out of bed and waited. Maud appeared in her nightdress.
“Your Majesty,” she bowed.
Sigefrith saw that her lower lip was trembling, but her sly eyes were looking up at him to measure his reaction. Was she only acting?
“What is it?” he asked, trying to keep his voice firm.
She seemed taken aback. Perhaps he was supposed to have guessed what she was doing there in her nightdress.
“I shall send the Earl to arrange matters with you in the morning. We do not need to discuss this tonight.”
She swayed. “Will I – will you – ” Her voice was little more than a squeak. “Will you come tomorrow – to say – goodbye to me?”
“If you wish it.”
She nodded, mute.
He stood waiting, hands on his hips.
She curtseyed awkwardly and climbed back down the ladder. Sigefrith collapsed on the bed and listened to the wind howling for most of the night.
