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Updated: June 7, 2025
William went to the wedding; and swore horrible oaths that they were the handsomest pair he had ever seen. And so Hereward married Alftruda. How Holy Church settled the matter is not said. But that Hereward married Alftruda, under these very circumstances, may be considered a "historic fact," being vouched for by Gaimar, and by the Peterborough Chronicler.
Then I asked him how Herluin and the Lady Alftruda came to know aught of each other? and he said that she had been questioning all about the monastery without Abbot Thorold's knowledge, for one that knew Hereward and favored him well. That was all I could get from the knave, he cried so for fright.
"Have you been away from him, then?" "What! Do you not know?" "How should I know, lady?" "Yes, most true. How should Hereward know anything about Alftruda? But I will tell you. Maybe you may not care to hear?" "About you? Anything. I have often longed to know how, what you were doing." "Is it possible? Is there one human being left on earth who cares to hear about Alftruda? Then listen.
And Alftruda went with her, taking a goodly company of knights to be her escort, while Hereward remained at Bourne with few to guard it. And knowing this, to Bourne came Ascelin and Taillebois, Evermue, Raoul de Dol, and many another Norman, and burst in upon Hereward in some such fashion as he had done himself some ten years earlier. "Felons," he shouted, "your king has given me his truce!
Now then, whither? The Danes were to go to Ely and join the army there. Hereward would march on to Stamford; secure that town if he could; then to Huntingdon, to secure it likewise; and on to Ely afterwards. "You will not leave me among these savages?" said Alftruda. "Heaven forbid! You shall come with me as far as Stamford, and then I will set you on your way."
"So now," she said, "what Hereward has to do, as a true and courteous knight, is to give Alftruda safe conduct, and, if he can, a guard; and to deliver her up loyally and knightly to his old friend and fellow-warrior, Dolfin Gospatricksson, earl of whatever he can lay hold of for the current month." "Are you in earnest?" Alftruda laughed one of her strange laughs, looking straight before her.
God give you grace thereof, for you have not given Him much chance as yet." "Your majesty will honor us by coming to the wedding?" asked Alftruda, utterly unabashed. Matilda the good looked at her with a face of such calm, childlike astonishment, that Alftruda dropped her "fairy neck" at last, and slunk out of the presence like a beaten cur.
"Out! wretch! traitor!" cried she. "There is nothing very traitorous in succoring distressed ladies," said Ascelin. "If I can be of the least service to Alftruda the peerless, let her but send, and I fly to do her bidding." So they rode off. Hereward went through Cambridge and Potton like a man stunned, and spoke never a word.
So Hereward went to Winchester, and with him forty of his knights, and placed his hands between the hands of William, and swore to be his man. And William walked out of the hall leaning on Hereward's shoulder, at which all the Normans gnashed their teeth with envy. And thereafter Hereward married Alftruda, after the scruples of Holy Church had been duly set at rest.
So they went, for the time. The jailer told this to Sir Robert, who saw all, being a kind-hearted man. "From his poor first wife, eh? Well, there can be no harm in that. Nor if they came from this Lady Alftruda either, for that matter; let them go in and out when they will." "But they may be spies and traitors." "Then we can but hang them."
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