Early on the next morning Ethelbert the king sent for me, to ask me
concerning this affair with the flintknappers. Very pleasant he
was, too, and the first thing he did was to laugh at himself for
taking me for a Frank.
"I ought to have seen that you were a Saxon," he said; "and if I
had had the courtesy to speak with you, I should have learned it at
once. I had a good friend once in that atheling of yours, who is
lost to us."
His face clouded as he said that, and but that there were a dozen
courtiers present, I should have told him that Ecgbert was found
again for him, then and there; however, that would wait, and I
passed it over. Then he asked me of myself, and what I would do
when the state affair was ended; and I told him that I had no
greater wish than to find my way home at once.
"That is a long ride," he said. "I think we can assist you. It is
in my mind to ride westward myself in a week or so to see Offa, on
a matter of business. That will take us far on your way, if you
care to ride with me."
Now I wondered what this business might be, for the honest face of
the young king flushed somewhat as he spoke thereof; and one or two
of the courtiers behind his chair smiled at one another meaningly.
That was not for me to ask, but whatever it might be, I was glad of
the kindly offer. I thanked him, and then we spoke of the flint
folk, and I told him all I knew.
Then, of course, we must talk of the court of King Carl, and of all
that I had seen and done beyond the sea, and the time went fast. I
had my breakfast with the king there in his private chamber, for he
wanted to hear of laws and the like, of which, to tell the truth, I
could let him know little.
"Best ask the old paladin who is the head of the embassy, King
Ethelbert," I said presently. "I can tell you how Carl manages the
sword; but of the way he wields the sceptre, I cannot. Mayhap I
shall mislead you."
"No," he answered; "I would hear how his way seems to a plain
Englishman as myself. My chancellor shall talk with the paladin."
Then at last he started up, and cried:
"Why, I have forgotten somewhat. I promised to take you to my
mother's bower to be thanked by the Lady Hilda. Come with me at
once."
"There is Werbode," I said.
"Let him wait," said Ethelbert. "It is the thane on the great pied
horse whom she will thank."
I wondered whether it was the steed or myself she remembered best,
which was not courteous of me. Ethelbert laughed and told me so,
adding that he thought after all that the horse would be noticed
first. He was the first thing which had caught his own eye when we
rode into the palace yard on our coming, certainly, so I had to
stand another jest or two about him.
We came to the bower, across a fair garden where the May flowers
were gay and sweet, and the king knocked at the door. It was a
handsome, low-built little hall which stood at right angles to the
great one, so that it had a door opening on the high place where we
sat at table. Its windows on this garden side were wide and high,
and this morning the heavy shutters were flung back from each, and
the curtains were drawn aside, for it faced south to the warm sun.
There were bright faces of the queen-mother's ladies at one or two
as they sat in the deep window seats working or spinning, and
anywise laughing with one another; whereon I grew bashful, for of
ladies' talk and presence I have a sort of fear, being more used to
camp than court, as I have said.
However, we went in, and there we stood on a floor strewn with
sweet sedge in a fair hall, tapestry hung, full of sunlight, and of
ladies also. There was a high place here at one end, and on it sat
the mother of the king, not in any state, but working at a little
loom, whose beams were all carven and made beautiful for her royal
hands. There were two ladies helping her, and they rose as the king
entered, as did all the others, and there was a sudden silence.
I should have been happier if only they had paid no heed to us, and
with all my heart I wished myself elsewhere. Nor did I dare look
round for the Lady Hilda, and so kept my eyes fixed more or less on
the ground, or else trying to seem unconcerned, looking foolish, no
doubt, in that effort. It came to me that one of my shoes was
muddy, and that I could not remember having combed my hair this
morning.
Then the queen rose and came to meet her son with a smile and
morning greeting, setting her hands on his shoulder and kissing
him, and so turned to me as if to ask Ethelbert to say who I was.
And when she heard, I knelt and kissed the hand she held to me; and
my shyness went, for I was no longer at a loss for somewhat to
think of besides myself. I suppose the king or queen made some sign
at this time, for the ladies rustled back to their seats, and their
pleasant talk began again as if we were not present, only so low
that it was like the murmur of the bees outside as we came past the
hives.
Now the queen asked me just a question or two of my journey--if the
crossing had been rough, and so on, and then said smiling:
"But you have had another journey since then, and that handsome
horse of yours bore a double burden, they tell me. Here is the Lady
Hilda, who would thank you for somewhat you did for her."
She beckoned, and a lady rose up from the window seat near by and
came forward. Truly I had to look twice before I was quite sure
that this was she, for here was a wonderfully stately young lady,
clad in white and gold and blue, all unlike the maiden who had
clung to her father as we rode yestereven. And if I had thought her
fair then, I saw now that she was the fairest of all those who
attended this homely and kindly-faced queen. She held out her hand
to me, and I bent and kissed it; and on the white wrist I saw the
blue marks of the clutch of the wild men, which made a great wrath
rise in my heart straightway. Yet I must say somewhat or seem
mannerless.
"You have fared none the worse for your ride, lady?" I said. "I
fear you were weary."
"I am black and blue with the claws of those folk," she said,
laughing ruefully; "they were grimy also. But I meant to try to
thank you for much kindness."
She blushed somewhat, and I made haste to say that I was happy to
have served her in aught. But I would not have her forget my
comrades.
"Ay, they helped you," she said; "I had not forgotten. And I had
the cloak of one of them. Will you thank him for it?"
I said that I would, and added words about Werbode's pleasure in
the loan, and so on. One could not say much with all those eyes on
us, as it were, if I had had much to say. I was glad when the king
took up the talk and asked after the welfare of the lady.
"I have sent men across that heath," he said; "at least they will
see to those who fell of your party. I hope they may bring back
some not much hurt after all. A fall from a horse will not be of
much account after half an hour."
But she shook her head and paled, for, as her father had told me,
his men who had fallen were not mounted. The king saw that the
matter was hard for her to think of, and so turned the talk by
asking how she liked that steed of mine.
"Sire," she said gravely, "when horse and rider first came suddenly
before my eyes, I thought that one of the saints had come to our
help. It was the most welcome sight I have ever seen, and I shall
ever love to look on a horse of that--of those--"
"Patchwork colours," laughed the king.
"Wilfrid, so long as you live you will no more be taken for a saint
than shall I again. Make the most thereof. Of a truth I will even
buy me a skew-bald mount and ride round corners in search of the
like reputation. Nay, sell me yours straightway!"
"No, King Ethelbert," I answered--"not even to yourself after he
has won me that word, and since he has borne so fair a burden."
"Let us go straightway," said Ethelbert. "You will not better that
speech if you bide here for an hour.
"Farewell, mother; and farewell, ladies."
He bowed, and I did my best to leave gracefully, all those who were
present rising again as he went, and returning his bow. The queen
was laughing at him, and I dared to see if the Lady Hilda had a
smile on her face. She had, and it did not pass when she met my
look; but behind the smile was something of the terror of last
evening, which had been brought back to her. It was in my mind as
we passed the door again that if the sight of me and my horse so
wrought on her, it were better that I kept away if I could; and I
would have the beast stabled in the town.
Then said Ethelbert when we were halfway across the garden:
"We shall have the company of that very fair lady to Offa's court.
She is going to the queen as one of her ladies for a time, by our
permission. Her mother was of Lincoln, and gave hospitality to
Quendritha when she was first found on the shore. Then she married
our thane of Mundesley here; whereby we have gained this fair
subject."
Into my mind there came the thought of what old Thrond had told me,
and I would that this maiden could be warned. And that was just a
wild thought, for even Thrond could not say for certain that his
guess was true, and he had bidden me hold my peace; and thereon I
tried to consider that it was no concern of mine where the Lady
Hilda went, though it troubled me more than enough to think that
she was to go to Quendritha. So I said naught, and the king did not
expect any answer.
"I suppose you have heard why we go thither," he went on quickly.
"If not, you will, and you may as well have it from myself."
He glanced sidewise at me, and I bowed. I supposed I should hear
some words of policy or other.
"They--that is, our wise folk and my good mother--have been saying
that I ought to marry. They have dinned that into my ears for the
last two months since I have been on the throne. It is a matter
which I had not thought of, and therefore I have been in no haste
to answer them; and they have grown impatient, saying that it is
for the good of the realm. Have you ever been at the court of King
Offa of Mercia?"
I had not, and I think I had told him so before, when he asked me
if I would ride with him thither.
He took my arm and turned to pace the garden back again, thinking.
I wondered that he took the trouble to tell me all this, as I was
so complete a stranger to him.
"I am sorry for that," he said; "I would have asked you somewhat.
You would have answered it frankly, and without the thought of what
might please me, as our courtiers would of course stay to consider.
But tell me, what have you heard of Offa and his family?"
Now I could say nothing of what I had heard from Thrond; that was
impossible. Nor did it seem to me to matter that of it I spoke not.
The life of Quendritha the queen had lain open to all England, as
one may say, for the last twenty years, and that was of more
account than the half-told tale of a wandering Dane. So I said
simply the truth.
"I have ever heard of that royal house as the noblest and greatest
in all England--at least since Ina of Wessex died; but I have been
abroad for these five years, and I know not what they have
brought."
"Why, then," he answered, laughing, "it is I who must tell you of
them. There was once a fair little playmate of mine in Offa's
house, his youngest daughter Etheldrida. Since you left England she
has grown up, and now--Well, you will not need telling the rest,
maybe?"
He reddened and laughed, as if well content, and plain to me it was
that if Ethelbert meant to wed that playmate of whom he spoke he
was happy; for in this case certainly policy and inclination went
hand in hand.
"Then both yourself and East Anglia will be happy, King Ethelbert,"
said I, smiling in turn. "That is what you would tell me."
"That is it. This princess has the fairness of her wondrous mother,
and promise of the wisdom of her father; and I have known her for
long years. Three weeks ago I sent with all solemnity to ask her
hand, and I need not tell you how I waited for the answer. It came
on the day before you landed, and now when your people have gone we
shall ride to Fernlea, and--well, I suppose there will be a
wedding."
If Ethelbert when that day came looked as he looked at this moment,
there would in all truth be a handsome bridegroom. I thought that
the princess was to be envied, for more worth than that were the
words of every man of his land in his favour, whether as the
atheling of East Anglia or her king. And it was much for me that
here this open-hearted king was telling me his hopes as if I were
an old friend. Maybe that was because to his subjects he did not
care to speak thus, or could not, by reason of old habit. He was
wise beyond his years, being, as I think, about two years younger
than myself. And as to this match, of course it was plain that Offa
in furthering it was in nowise unwilling to link the land to the
east of Mercia to himself in so peaceful a bond as he had linked
Wessex in the year when I left home. It did come into my mind that
thus in time the descendants of that mighty king would be likely to
rule from the Humber to the Channel, but that was a dim thought of
years to come. There was Ecgbert to be counted on.
And at that I wondered whether this were, as it almost seemed a
good chance, a fitting time for me to remind the king of him. He
himself had told me carefully that in aught I said of his doings I
must be cautious; and now I could not tell what Ethelbert might not
think right to make known to Offa, and so to Quendritha.
Ethelbert went on telling me of the coming journey, having found a
listener who was no courtier, and did not heed that I was silent.
And so we paced the garden, while he chatted hopefully, and I
turned over somewhat heavier matters in my mind.
Once I did well-nigh tell him of Ecgbert, and then forbore; for at
that moment he said somewhat of Quendritha which almost made me
think that he feared her. Whereon I was troubled to think that this
bright and happy young king should be drawn into the net of her
pride and policy, and again thought myself foolish for giving two
thoughts to a matter which did not concern me. If the king was
happy and yon fair maiden was content, they knew more of the queen
than I. So I ended my questionings by a hearty wish that old Thrond
had never told me that wild tale of his, and said naught of my
prince, but listened patiently to the king until some one came and
prayed him to meet the council, which he had forgotten.
I followed him to the great hall, and thence went to the stables,
and so met with Werbode and Erling, and rode hawking with them all
that afternoon. And when we came back we heard that tomorrow was
the day for the meeting of the Witan, to hear and see what King
Carl had to say and had sent.
Now, of all that wonderful gathering in the hall at Thetford I need
say little. I know that our Franks had somewhat despised our
buildings, for indeed they seemed somewhat poor to me after the
mighty piles which Carl had reared. But such a wealth of colour and
jewels decking so gallant an assemblage of brave men and fair
ladies even Carl's court could not match, and so they told me. As
we stood before the high place our Frankish dress seemed almost
plain beside the English, richly as we were clad.
Then I found that I, by reason of having to interpret, was thrust
somewhat more forward than I liked; but there was no help for it,
and I went through it all as well as I knew how. Maybe it was lucky
that I had that talk in all confidence with the king in the garden,
for I was now in nowise afraid of him, though he sat there crowned
and with his sceptre. I was afraid, however, of the Lady Hilda,
knowing just where she stood behind the queen, and one would have
thought that with her I might have claimed more close acquaintance
than with the king; which is curious, for if I had not known her at
all, I should have cared naught for all the ladies present, having
business that needed other thoughts on hand.
However, after it was all over, the old paladin, who was our chief,
thanked me, and spoke some honest words of praise for the way in
which his message had been set before the Witan and the king; and
gave me, moreover, a ring, set with a ruby from some far Eastern
land, as a kindly remembrance of himself; so I verily believe that
I did not manage so badly.
After that was a day or two more of feasting and hunting, and then
the embassy would return. I was sorry to part with Werbode, but I
bade him carry back messages to Ecgbert, and in them I told him
that I waited for the time when his message should best be spoken.
Werbode knew not what that meant, but did not trouble to ask. He
would give my message, and would also tell the atheling of the
coming marriage. I had no doubt that it would be understood well by
him to whom it was sent. At that time there were none of the Franks
who knew or cared who Ecgbert was, save Carl; and if by chance my
friend had spoken to any of these East Anglians of the Saxon leader
under whom he had warred for Carl, the name of Ecgbert would mean
naught to them. A Wessex atheling has no honour in East Anglia, and
I doubt whether it had ever been heard here.
On the day after the great ceremony I noticed that Erling went
about somewhat silently, and I thought that he very likely had a
wish to cross the sea with the Franks, and so make his way home by
land from the Rhine mouth. I asked him, therefore, if it was so,
saying that I would give him money enough for all needs.
"It is not that, master," he said; and when he called me master
(which I had forbidden him, for he was more of a comrade, and I
would not have him remember whence I took him), I knew that he was
in earnest--"not that, for I would not leave you; unless, indeed
this means that you would have me go?"
"No, comrade, that I would not. But you are downcast, and I thought
that you might have the longing for home on you. Well, what is it?"
"It is naught," he said.
But so plain it was that somewhat was amiss that I pressed him, and
at last he said that he would tell me if I would not be angry with
him. We were alone at the time, sitting on a great log in the
corner of the courtyard, waiting for supper.
"Saw you aught strange about the robe which this young king had on
yesterday, when you stood before him?" he asked first. "You were
close to him."
"I did not notice anything beyond that it was wonderfully wrought
with gold and colours. The queen made it, they tell me."
He sighed, and his face fell.
"I have heard that the Christian folk hold most precious such robes
as are marked with the blood of one who has died for his faith. Are
you sure that this robe is not such an one?"
"I know it is not. The queen made it new for the coronation."
He was silent for a while, looking on the ground and shifting his
foot in the dust, and some fear rose in my mind as to what he would
tell me.
"Eh, well," he said, sighing again, "mayhap the sun was in my eyes
before I looked on him."
"Is it the second sight again, Erling?" I asked in a low voice, for
that was what I feared.
"Ay. Methought I saw that royal robe all spotted with blood as he
sat in it."
"What does that portend?" I said.
He lifted his eyes slowly to mine, and answered, "Why need you
ask?"
I did not answer him, for, in truth, I only asked with a half hope
that he might have some other interpretation of this portent than
that of violent death, which seemed the plain meaning of it--that
is, if he saw aught, and I had no reason to disbelieve him. I tried
to think that his glance had met the sun for a moment before he
looked on the king; but I could not think it, for in the hall was
no chance thereof. And then he spoke again slowly, with his eyes
still on the ground.
"Thrond, who is my uncle, saw the same on the mail of my father not
long before he fell. He said at that time that so it had often been
in our family; but this has not come to me until I came here. I had
no second sight up to this time."
"It is sent for some reason, therefore," said I. "Now, is it
possible to avert the doom which seems written?"
He shook his head. "I have never heard so," he answered.
"Yet the king does not seem fey," said I, "and there is no man in
all this land who would harm him. Ah, maybe you saw the robe as of
a saint, because all men hold him most saintly!"
"May it he so," he answered. "You are Christian folk, and it may
mean that; I will hope it does. How should a heathen man know what
is for you? Over you the Norns may have no power. Pay no heed to
me."
"No," said I. "We ride to Offa with the king in a few days, and if
you and I have fears for him, there are two who will watch him
carefully. That is why the sight has come to you, I think. There is
danger, and we may meet it."
Thereat he cheered up, for the thought of facing a peril heartened
him. His heathen fear of fate was enough to make any man downcast
when it seemed to promise naught but ill, and I verily believe that
he thought the way of the Christian might be altogether different
from his. But I liked his second sight not at all, for of course we
Saxons know that when it is given it is not to be despised. My
father had many times told me of the like before I heard this.
After that I asked now and then if there was any danger to be
guarded against on the way to Fernlea, and I was told by all that
there was none. Hardly would a strong guard be needed, for the hand
of Offa was heavy on ill doers, and his land had peace from end to
end.
So then I began to think the portent altogether heathenish, and
half forgot it. And with that I hoped that Erling would not often
be taken in this way.
I rode with the Franks for an hour or two on their road back to
Norwich, homeward, and then took leave of them, riding back to
Thetford with Erling alone, for the king had but set the embassy as
far as the gates of the town. And as I watched them pass across the
heaths and at last disappear behind a hill, it seemed to me that I
had my life to begin afresh, for the days when I was one of the
paladins of King Carl of the Franks were past and done with. Many
were the lessons I had learned therein, and I have never regretted
those five years; and, best of all, in them I had been the friend
and close comrade of Ecgbert, who I know had then all the promise
of his greatness of the days to come.