Ælfred Klüpfuchs (ˈæɫvˌrɪd ˈklʏp.fʊks)

Prince Ælfred is the tenth-born child of Beornric the Shrewd and the twin brother of Princess Wynflæd Klüpfuchs. His mother, Beornric's second wife, Briganta ferch Cadwaladr, was a Cuneddan noblewoman and a cousin of Maelgwn the Tall, grandfather of the current King of Cunedda, Rhys ap Maelgwn. Among his siblings, he is regarded as something of a rake; they often remark - half-jokingly - on his many brief liaisons and infatuations with both women and men. He is one of the most charming of the Young Foxes of Bernicia, and certainly the most naturally ebullient. It was for this latter quality that his father appointed him ambassador to Rheged, for as Beornric observed, "Not even that dismal place could dampen Ælfred's spirits, and he might even do them some good with his cheerfulness."

Early Life

When the twins Ælfred and Wynflæd were born, many predicted that they would not survive long. They arrived early and small, and the midwives held out little hope for them. For a season, nurturing the twins became the focus of Beornric's court, as their parents and elder siblings devoted considerable attention and energy to bringing doctors and healers from across Ynys to care for them. Even after it became clear that the twins would live, the family continued to treat them with special consideration in memory of those difficult first months.

When Ælfred and Wynflæd were three, their mother was poisoned and died in a plot intended for their father. In the aftermath, the twins came under the care of their eldest half-sister, Godifu Klüpfuchs, the first of Beornric's children to bear the nickname "Young Fox." She raised the twins in her own adventurous mold, and they still regard her as their surrogate mother in adulthood.

Ælfred was a notably cheerful child who loved music and dancing above all else and displayed remarkable talent in both. He plays several instruments, and his ability to master one in short order is legendary within the family. Some stories claim he is better with most instruments after ten minutes than most people are after a year of practice. He learns dances just as quickly, often performing them flawlessly after a single demonstration. During the family's annual gathering at Kerzennächte, Ælfred always takes charge of directing the musical entertainment, often featuring original compositions and choreography of his own design.

Ambassador to Rheged

Like the other royal children of the House of Klüpfuchs, Ælfred is expected to serve the interests of Bernicia in whatever manner King Beornric deems best. In Ælfred's case, his father appointed him as Bernicia's ambassador to their neighbor, the Kingdom of Rheged. That nation has long labored under a cloud of fear, born of the experiments of the ancient sorceress Solis, and the cursed, haunted Cully Dhorcha lies at its heart. More than one foreigner in Caer Rheged has been unable to withstand the oppressive dread that permeates the city and countryside, but Ælfred has proved remarkably resistant to it. Instead, he has become a bright presence at the court of Aedan MacLachlan, and his parties have won him many friends among the nobles of Rheged.

Beornric also had another reason for selecting Ælfred for Rheged. The monsters of the Cully Dhorcha are contained within the forest by the Folk Magic of the Duffian Foresters, expressed through ritual dances featuring bells, sticks, and intricate rhythms and choreography. Although the dances are not secret, they have been notoriously difficult for outsiders to learn, and Beornric - along with the Lorekeepers of Foxbridge - wished to gain a deeper understanding of their workings. Ælfred has been able to observe the dances and describe them to The Librarian of Foxbridge with such precision (aided by demonstrations) that the Librarian has been able to deduce their underlying metaphysics and how they interact with the prevailing folk-magical conditions of Rheged. With this understanding, and with Ælfred's native genius, they have even identified several possible modifications that could improve the effectiveness of the ritual dances.

Ælfred has requested permission to share these insights with his friends among the foresters, but thus far King Beornric has chosen to hold them in reserve until an opportune moment when the gift might yield maximum benefit to Bernicia. This has frustrated and angered Ælfred, though he has not yet disobeyed his father; instead, he has enlisted his sister to persuade the King to grant permission sooner rather than later. However, as he has written in ciphered letters to Wynflæd Klüpfuchs, he will not stand by in a crisis if he can prevent it, and she should not be surprised if he finds it necessary to dance his way into their father's displeasure.