Alfred is a former Anglo-Saxon (actually Saxon) land-owner who has been reduced to serfdom for swearing to support William the Bastard and then breaking his oath in rebellion. Understandably he’s a bit put out by this.
William (no, not the Bastard; another one) is a Norman lord who has taken over Alfred’s estates. He is a bit of a thicko, and his main strength is bashing people with big lumps of optionally sharpened metal; his language skills aren’t especially pronounced which is somewhat ironic as a Norman is really a Viking with a French accent.
Bruce is William’s sword brother and is currently present so William can utter asides to him during the following dialog; he is presently visiting William as a break from his somewhat grimmer estates in Northumbria near the Scottish border, and to drink as much as is humanly possible.
William: “Oy! Alfred. Bring bœuf”
Alfred looks puzzled; he’s heard the word bœuf before but isn’t sure what it means, and isn’t in the mood to be helpful (he rarely is).
William (in Norman French which I have rendered in English because my Norman French is non-existent, and I’m not sure Google Translate is up to this job. It is also in italics to clarify that William is making an aside to Bruce): “These Saxons are a bit thick; can’t even understand the simplest commands.”
William: “Bring ox(masculine ending)”
Alfred: “We don’t have ox(masculine ending), how about ox(feminine ending)?”
William: “Just bring it”
Alfred leaves the hall looking puzzled, and is gone for an unusually long time.
Bruce: Is he trying to breed with the cow so he can bring a bull?
Alfred arrives back leading a cow on a rope; it is obviously still alive. William stands and starts to draw his sword whereas Bruce hurls his nearly empty tankard at Alfred which fortunately bonks his head. This seems to satisfy William who slumps back down in his chair and mutters: See what I have to put up with?
Alfred: “Did you mean ox(ending indicating a roasted dish)?”
William: “Bring food”
Alfred hands the cow’s rope to another serf, heads out of the hall, and comes back a few minutes later with some roast ox.
The Bench