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"I am glad of it. But I will say that I am somewhat surprised." And that was true, for this message seemed to Alsi to be nothing more or less than that Goldberga would marry his man. When he thought for a moment, however, he saw that it could not be thus; and also, it was plain to him what the poor girl had in her mind. And now he chuckled to think what a weapon he had against her.
When I looked, her face was white and troubled, and she half rose from her seat and then sank back in it gently, and the thane who sat next her spoke anxiously to her in a low voice, and the lady by his side rose up and came to her. Then Alsi turned, and he too spoke, asking if aught was amiss. "The princess faints with the heat of the hall," said the thane's wife. "She yet feels the long journey.
And as I said this I was thinking that I must find out from Mord whether he knew and had told more than I could of who Havelok was and whence he came to us. It seemed to me that the earl had heard some tale or other, and unless it was from him I could not think from whence. Now the earl said, "This business has ended better than I could have hoped, and I think that Alsi will not hear of it.
"I can only go by what I swore, and that I will carry out. I promised to see you married to the most goodly and mightiest man in the land." "That can be none but a king, as I think." Now Alsi grew impatient, for he meant to settle one matter before he went much farther. "I will say at once that I can have no king over the East Anglian kingdom.
Why did he try to force me?" Then he went back to the thing that weighed mostly on his noble heart the thought that he was unworthy altogether. "I fear that the princess does but think of me because she must. It is in my mind that Alsi may have threatened her also until she has consented. How shall I know this?" "Most easily, as she speaks with you," answered Withelm. "Tomorrow will tell you that.
He spoke to the earl, and he too counted the odds before him, and he smiled a little to himself. He had not much to say to Alsi. Then broke out a thunderous cheer from all our men, for with Havelok and Sigurd at her horse's rein, and with Withelm's courtmen of her own guard behind her, came Goldberga the queen to speak with the man who had broken his trust.
"One thing there is that makes me glad," he said, "and that is because I may now be held worthy of this sweet bride of mine so strangely given, as indeed I fear that I am not. Men will say that she has done no wrong in wedding me; and for all that Alsi may say, it will be believed that she knew well whom she was wedding. There will be no blame to her."
But no one could tell her of such a one here, unless it were to be a priest of Woden, and that she would not hear of. Then, early in the morning, Alsi sent for her, saying that he would speak with her alone for a while.
At first we thought that we would make for Grimsby; but then it seemed best to land elsewhere, and more to the south, for we would have messages sent at once to Ragnar to call East Anglia to Havelok's banner, and Alsi would have less chance of cutting us off from him. So we sailed to Saltfleet haven, which lies some twenty-five miles southward from Grimsby.
With him were the earl and Eglaf, and the housecarls, and I sent one to fetch Havelok quickly, that there might be no delay in the words that were to be said. Alsi rode to the water's edge and looked out over our host, and his white face became whiter, and his thin lips twitched as he saw that our line was no weaker than it had seemed when first he saw it.
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