Sigefrith is handed a ring

“He did what?” Sigefrith asked, stunned.

“You heard me.”

“But I didn’t think that was even… physically… possible.”

Leofric sighed and tipped back in his chair. “Ah, if only it were!”

“Would you?”

Leofric laughed. “I think I should never do anything else! Have a sip of wine, runt, you look positively green.”

“I have an odd taste in my mouth just thinking about it.” Sigefrith turned to pour himself a cup, but he looked around in embarrassed alarm when he heard the door to the next room open.

The servants had been going in and out of there all day as they emptied the room of its furniture, and it made him nervous to have them traipsing through his study—especially when having the sorts of conversations into which Leofric frequently led him. He had a certain dignity to maintain.

It was a burly peasant, and he seemed to have something to say to him, for he hesitated in the room instead of going out into the stairs.

“Well, my good man?” Sigefrith asked, wondering just how much of the conversation the man had overheard.

Encouraged, the man came closer, bowing awkwardly. “My lord. It’s that we found something in there, behind the big chest. We think it must belong to Your Majesty.” He held out something small and glinting.

“Let’s have it.”

“It was stuck down in the crack between the floor and the wall, lord,” the man said. “We almost didn’t see it.”

He dropped a heavy ring into Sigefrith’s hand—a man’s ring. Sigefrith thought at first that it must have been one of his, but it didn’t look familiar. Or—no, it did look familiar. Where had he seen it before?

“Ah… thank you. And thank your keen eyes, man! And your honesty.” He winked at the peasant, who smiled in pleasure and backed out of the room, bowing.

“What is it?” Leofric asked.

“A ring.” Sigefrith turned it towards the lamp. Suddenly he remembered where he had seen it before: it was the ring Egelric had produced the first time they had gone into Scotland, and which had led them to his cousins. “It’s Egelric’s!” he laughed. “How in God’s almighty name did that get in there?”

Leofric chuckled. “Better ask the Queen how the Squire’s ring got into her bedroom.”

Sigefrith laughed with him. “At least it wasn’t his pants! I can’t wait to see how he’ll explain this one. He’ll be redder than his shirt at the mere suggestion that he’s done anything improper. A fine joke it will be!”

“Better hope it’s a joke, runt.”

“Oh, be serious for once, Leof. He’s as shy as a fawn whenever Maud’s in the room.”

“Perhaps now you know why.”

“Tsk! I’m more likely to get into her bed than poor Egelric is. I shall ask her about it, though, just to see how she explains it. Two jokes for one!”

Leofric laughed. “Your Majesty has had too much to drink, methinks.”

“I’ll drink to that!” Sigefrith said, reaching for the wine.