Chapter 15

York, Great Britain. October 1067

The day after the Breton POWs made it to their camp Charles of Domnonée was allowed entrance to Queen Marion’s inner office. He had been on one of the ships that had been captured, and when he saw the firearms welded by the British Marines, he was stunned. At that moment, he realized just how unprepared Brittany was and, at the same time, how lucky they were because, at the moment, Marion didn’t have the spare troops or ships to launch a major attack on Brittany, although she now had a casus belli.

Walking into Marion’s office, Charles didn’t know what to expect. He had heard so many tails about Marion, and many were so unbelievable that it was difficult for him to separate fact from fiction. He wasn’t prepared for what he walked into. Marion stood to one side, talking to Gabby about the Breton clusterfuck.

“Ah. It’s so good to meet you, Charles of Domnonée.”

Marion walked toward him, and Charles stopped as his eyes dilated and blood rushed South. The tales of Marion’s beauty did her no justice, as she was by far the most beautiful woman Charles had ever seen. As his little head started to do the thinking for him, Charles’s big brain wrested back control, and he calmed down.

“It’s my pleasure, and may I add tales of your beauty do you no justice. You are an extraordinary woman.”

“And I’m also the Queen of Great Britain,” Marion growled. “You and your men will be confined to the prison camp until Hawise pays the ransom, and the longer she takes, the higher your ransom. While you are here, I am not got to pay to house and feed you while you do nothing. All of you will work, and I do mean ALL of you.” Marion looked to Charles’s guards. “Take this man back to the POW camp and make sure he’s given a pick or shovel. DISMISSED!”

Charles started sputtering as the guards dragged him out of the office. He had never been treated in such a manner and viewed it as a gross abuse of the standards of warfare. After Charles had been dragged out, Gabriella put a hand on Marion’s shoulder, and Marion laid one of her hands on Gabriella’s before taking a deep breath.

“You ok, sweetie?” asked Gabby.

“I think so. It’s just that bastard pissed me off. Apparently, since I don’t have a fucking cock, I can’t effectively rule a country.”

“Well, you need to calm down because Magnus Haraldsson will be here in half an hour.

Marion looked up at Gabriella with tired eyes. Seeing her lover so worn out always broke Gabriella’s heart, but it never stopped Marion from doing her duty. Gabriella bent down and planted a soft, loving kiss on Marion’s lips. At first, Marion didn’t respond, but Gabriella was persistent, and before long, Marion was returning the kisses with enthusiasm. As they kissed, Marion started moaning into Gabriella’s mouth when Gabby slipped her tongue into Marion’s mouth. Thankfully for them, Marion caught herself before they got carried away. Both were damp between their legs, and Marion was relaxed as she refocused on the paperwork on her desk. About forty minutes later, Marion’s secretary stuck her head in the door.

“The Norse ambassador Magnus Haraldsson and his wife, Anna Catherine of Snekkeeng, are here to see you.”

Marion looked at the paper on her desk and quickly locked it in a drawer. That report was one of the last things Marion wanted to get out since it was the projected completion date for the new steel mill. After the report was put away, she looked to her secretary:

“Send them in, please.”

Magnus and his wife walked in. Marion could tell his wife was overwhelmed and caught herself trying to smile.

“Welcome to York, your excellency.”

“Thank you, your majesty. May I introduce my wife, Anna Catherine of Snekkeeng?”

“Ah, it’s a pleasure to meet you,” Marion said as she came forward for a hug.

Anna’s eyes almost popped out of her skull when Marion hugged her. She couldn’t believe a mighty queen like Marion would embrace a lowly noble like her. Marion then shook Magnus’s hand as she directed them to some seats nearby so they could talk comfortably.

“Before we start, can I get anything for the two of you to drink?”

“Can I get some wine?” asked Anna, and Magnus nodded when Marion looked at him.

Marion went to her desk, rang a small bell, and her secretary appeared.

“A bottle of wine and three glasses, please.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

Magnus and Anna were impressed, but Anna’s curiosity about the strange-looking guard near the door was driving her crazy. Finally, she decided to ask:

“You don’t have servants stationed in here, but you have a guard? And that guard isn’t dressed like the other guards; why?”

“Anna...” Magnus hissed.

“It’s fine, Magnus. May I call you Magnus?” He nodded. “I don’t have servants here so that none can be bought off. That guard is absolutely loyal to me and is dressed strangely because she is the commanding officer of the Household Guard and an original member of my inner circle. That green coat is what we used to protect ourselves during a fight.”

“Is it true that she is your lover?”

By now, Magnus had his head in his hands; this would be the last time he brought Anna to one of these meetings. Seeing Magnus, Marion laughed but was interrupted when her secretary brought the wine and glasses in. After everyone had their wine, Marion continued:

“Yes, Colonel Gabriella Smiten is my lover and shares my bed every night along with my husband and his lover Doctor Alice Kensley. Together we have five children, all with my husband as the father.”

“Are you not worried about living in sin?”

“I’m married, thank you very much. I also don’t care what some priest says about how I run MY life. I’m not hurting anyone; everyone agrees, and we love each other deeply.”

“Oh. I don’t know how anyone could risk their soul for such pleasures of the flesh.”

“My soul is mine to risk. If you think about it, living strictly by what is taught in the church is almost impossible. I believe it’s far better to use the lessons in the Bible as a guide on your journey through life. I have also begun reading Muslim, Jewish, and Eastern orthodox teachings. I even read some books on Pegan beliefs from time to time. Now, shall we get started?”

The first bit out of Magnus’s mouth was assurance for Marion that Norway would never attack her unless Britain attacked Norway. This was extremely important because Magnus had witnessed the growing industrial might of Great Britain. In two letters to his father, Magnus ordered the Norse king not to attack unless he wanted to lose his throne. Marion just looked at him and cocked her head:

“Why would I attack Scandinavia? Are you planning on attacking me?”

“What? No, of course not. I just don’t want there to be any misunderstandings.”

“Why would there be any misunderstandings?” Marion was enjoying toying with Magnus.

“Well, with all the conflicts raging, we wanted to make sure there were no misunderstandings that might lead your kingdom into a conflict with my father’s.”

“As long as your father doesn’t attack us or interfere with our trade, there won’t be any problems.”

“Ah, and if you interfere with our trade?”

“Why would we interfere with your trade? As long as your merchants are truthful, we won’t have problems because I work hard to ensure British merchants are honest. Still, setting some system to work out our differences wouldn’t do any harm.”

“That’s a sage idea, your majesty...”

“Marion, please. Meetings will go so much faster.” Magnus couldn’t help but smile.

“Then Marion it is. I didn’t want to offend you.”

“You didn’t. Now, it’s almost my dinner time. Would you and your lovely wife like to join us?”

Magnus looked at Anna. This was something neither had expected, but after considering the offer, Anna nodded her head.

“We accept your invitation, Marion.”

Marion smiled and lit up the room as she called for her secretary. When the lady came into the room, she had her notepad in her hand.

“Can you send a message to my chef and inform him there will be two more people at my table this evening.”

“Yes, ma’am,” the secretary backed out and went to send the message. She loved working for Marion and hoped she always would.

Back in Marion’s office, Gabriella came and stood directly behind Marion, resting her hand on Marion’s shoulder.

“You haven’t said anything the entire time we have been here, even though we talked about you. Why?” Anna asked Gabriella.

“I didn’t have anything to say. As my lover’s husband would say, the lord gave you two eyes and two ears but only one mouth; make sure to use them in a similar ratio. I am a guard and a good one. While I have proven to be a good administrator, I would rather defend MY queen with a knife and firearm than pen and paper.”

“My father said the same thing to me before I left home.”

“He probably got it from Luke when he was a guest here,” replied Marion.

Anna’s mouth was open, but it snapped closed while Gabriella gave her a stern look. Gabriella kept staring at Anna until Marion reached up and squeezed her hand before standing and stretching. Looking at her guest:

“Shall we head toward the dining room?”

Magnus and Anna nodded mutely, still trying to catch up with Marion and Gabriella. When Marion left her office, two guards fell in behind the group. When the group arrived at Marion’s private dining room, the two guards broke off and stood guard at the door. Two minutes after they entered the dining room, Alice walked in, still wearing her white lab coat.

“Where’s Luke?” asked Marion

“He’ll be along shortly. Something about dropping stuff off in his workshop.”

Marion nodded before showing Magnus and Anna where to sit. It wasn’t long before the door opened, and the giant that was Marion’s husband walked in. Without thinking, Marion jumped out of her chair, ran up to him, jumped in Luke’s arms, and wrapped her legs around his waist as her lips met his. Luke didn’t know what got into his wife, but he wasn’t complaining. He was curious, so hopefully, this to happen more often. Then Luke saw Magnus and Anna sitting with their mouths open and understood that Marion was showing off, not that he minded.

As Luke came closer to the table, Anna started feeling strange. The region between her legs began to tingle while her nipples got hard and her face got warm. Then she understood when she realized her eyes were locked on the outline of Luke’s cock. Marion wrapping him up in her legs caused Luke to get excited and his cock to grow to its full glory. That wasn’t Marion’s intention, but she enjoyed the view when she let go. Alice noticed Anna’s red face and gave her a knowing smile which caused Anna to get redder. Magnus didn’t notice because his eyes were locked on Marion’s arse. He had never seen a woman wearing pants do what Marion was doing, and his reaction was embarrassing because his cock got rock hard, and he began releasing pre-cum. He swore the next thing he would buy would be a pair of pants for Anna.

Finally, Marion released Luke, and they sat at the table. Marion made the introductions, and Magnus immediately found Luke, a charming conversationalist. They had just started getting into their conversation when the first course arrived, and the food was far better than either Magnus or Anna had ever eaten. As the second course arrived, a blonde tempest blew in, and Luke swept her up, sitting her on his lap. That blonde tempest, otherwise known as Mackenzie, was gaining a reputation for getting into everything. Luke began to give her food off his plate as Magnus and Anna sat dumbfounded. They had never seen a father behave in such a manner, but one look at Luke’s face told them he was delighted and relaxed. They also saw Marion’s eyes full of love as she watched her husband and daughter.

By the time they were done eating, Magnus and Anna felt like their stomachs were ready to explode. Neither had ever eaten so well or had such good food; Magnus had lived his entire life as royalty but had never eaten so well. The Brits at the table didn’t seem to act any differently than before the meal. Magnus’s curiosity got the best of him:

“Marion, may I ask you a question?”

“You may, but I reserve the right not to answer.”

“Do you eat this well all the time?” Magnus asked while gesturing at the table.

“No, we don’t. We eat like this about once a week. We are usually too busy the other six days to eat a big meal, but we always try to eat together. That’s something Luke always insists on that we eat together as a family. Also, we join the army outside the city most mornings for calisthenics.”

“Wow,” interrupted Anna. “What’s calisthenics?”

“It’s a type of strength training the army does every morning before breakfast.”

That was a new concept for her since she could never remember eating with all her family. Her father always seemed to have business to attend to, or he ate at a banquet while her mother entertained her lover. Her brothers were always out trying to get girls or cause mischief, while her sisters were trying to seduce some noble’s son. Her ruminations were interrupted when she heard Magnus shift the conversation to the recent British naval victory.

“So, Marion, did it surprise you that your navy won its first battle so easily?”

“No, it did not. Like my army, my navy isn’t built on some old creaky foundation but is a new creation that uses innovations introduced by Luke.”

“What kind of innovations?” Magnus wasn’t trying to be rude; he was genuinely curious.

“Well, proper uniforms and disciple for the soldiers, sailors, and officers. The officer corps doesn’t have many nobles but is full of young men and women who have proven capable leaders. One of the army’s newest formations is called grenadiers and is led by a young woman who was the daughter of serfs and enlisted in the army late last year. She proved her leadership in the Scottish campaign and was rewarded for her bravery, leadership, and loyalty.”

“What about the technological reforms? I’m sure they played a bigger role.” Now Luke spoke up:

“Not as much as you think. You can have the most advanced weaponry in the world, but if your military lacks leadership, it doesn’t matter. Officers have to be able to lead and think on their feet. It’s been said that a plan is the first casualty of enemy contact, which is entirely true in my experience. Officers must create new strategies and tactics that best use their strengths while minimizing their weaknesses based on their situation. That being said, technology has played an important role.”

“So, all the advanced weaponry your military possesses doesn’t matter?”

“It has made what Marion is doing easier, but so far, I don’t think the course of history has been altered too far. Sure, Marion probably wouldn’t be queen, and William of Normandy would have been king, but the fact England won against Scotland shouldn’t surprise you. Scotland doesn’t have the manpower reserves that England has, and barring some serious change in climate, that’s not going to change. Scotland doesn’t have the arable land to support a large population. England would have won in the end; we just sped things up and hopefully saved a lot of lives in the process. It’s the same story in Wales; if they are stupid enough to attack us, we will crush them. If your father is stupid enough to attack us again, we won’t rest until the Norse kingdom ceases to exist.”

Magnus and Anna were speechless after hearing Luke talk. Glancing at the other women in the room told Magnus everything he needed to know, Luke spoke the truth. The rest of supper was a quiet affair for Magnus and Anna. Their world had been turned on its head, but by the time dinner had ended, Magnus knew his father’s kingdom was doomed unless they made wholesale changes. They didn’t have arable land either, and nobles dominated the officer corps. They became officers because they were nobles, not because they could lead troops in combat.

After dinner, Magnus and Anna turned down an invitation to spend some more time with Marion’s family. Marion looked at Luke with fire in her eyes; his speech and feeling his cock when she jumped in his arms had made her horny. She had to feed Fred first; then, she could satisfy her sexual urges. As Marion nursed Fred, Gabby and Alice came in with their children and began nursing them. Alice couldn’t produce enough milk, so Marion or a wet nurse would take over once she was dry.