He was not surprised to find his godfather sitting in his hall when he returned home.

Sir Sigefrith was so taken up with the importance of the day’s events that he was not surprised to find his godfather sitting in his hall when he returned home. The King sat working at the table, with his steward and Cenwulf’s beside him and a pile of books and parchments before him, but he was clearly waiting for Sigefrith to arrive.

“There you are, runt. Did Malcolm find you, or did you make your own way home?”

'Did Malcolm find you, or did you make your own way home?'

“I found my own way. Why? Is he looking for me?”

“I sent Malcolm and Selwyn out to look for you.”

“Why? Did you find him?” Sigefrith asked eagerly.

“No, I’m afraid not. But you’ll have other babies to worry about before the night is over, if your sister is not mistaken.”

“What babies?” Had someone begun kidnapping other babies besides Hilda’s son? He would almost have been relieved to learn it was the case.

'What babies?'

“Your babies, you ninny. Eadie and Estrid and Mouse are upstairs with your wife.”

“What?” Sigefrith wailed.

The the two stewards looked at one another and tried to stifle a laugh.

'I suppose you two triple-ninnies can just pack up and go home and finish without me.'

“I suppose you two triple-​​ninnies can just pack up and go home and finish without me,” the King said to them.

“My wife?” Sigefrith whimpered.

“Seems the poor dear was expecting her belly to hurt when her time came, and not her back.”

“Was that what that was?” Sigefrith cried in horror.

'Was that what that was?'

And he had left her here alone, all day! How long might the brave girl not have suffered before she had admitted that she needed help?

Meanwhile he had scarcely thought of her throughout the day. He only thought of Hilda and how he had failed her. He should have kept the child closer. They had told the world that Hilda’s baby had died with her, and Godwyne was to have been raised anonymously at his nurse’s house, but it seemed that someone had learned the truth.

Now there were these two ideas battling for precedence in his narrow mind. He did not know what to do.

He did not know what to do.

“Sit down, runt,” the King said, “before you fall down. And you two stop laughing!” he yelled at his men. “Just see whether I let either of you get married now! If you think it’s so funny! Or perhaps I shall let you, and then laugh!”

The King led Sigefrith over to a bench and sat him down. Without his help, Sigefrith did not think he would have managed.

“But it’s not supposed to be for another month,” he protested.

“They say twins come early,” the King shrugged.

“Twins?” Sigefrith squeaked.

'Twins?'

“You’re the one who has been saying you’re having twins all this time! You and your father!”

“My father!” Sigefrith began to rise.

“We sent for your father hours ago. Now sit down. Nothing has happened yet. Everyone is fine. Alred came and took your children, and Heaf went home to his brother. Did you eat anything?”

“Twins?”

The King sighed. “Eadie and Estrid swear it. They ought to know. Eadie has seen twins come twice, and Estrid carried a pair herself. They know what to do.”

“May I see her?” he pleaded.

“No, you may not see her. Sit down, and tell me what happened today.”

'No, you may not see her.'

“Oh!”

It was the one idea that could distract him from his sudden terror that his wife was, in fact, having twins.

“We didn’t find him. We looked all over. I even went out to look over Egelric’s farms and over to Dunellen, and Eirik went as far as Baldwin’s.”

“What did you do? Go house to house?”

“What else could we do?”

“But wouldn’t they hide the baby?”

“We didn’t ask the people whether they had the baby. We asked whether they had seen anyone who had inexplicably acquired a baby during the night.”

'We asked whether they had seen anyone who had inexplicably acquired a baby during the night.'

“You might have waited a few days, in that case.”

“Well, the word is out now, anyway,” Sigefrith sighed. “And his return will be rewarded of course. I fear that’s what motivated it.”

“Ransom, eh? I suppose it’s better than meaning him harm.”

“I am trying not to think about that.”

“Don’t you suppose it might have been his father?”

'Don't you suppose it might have been his father?'

“I am trying not to think about that, either.”

“Did you think about the fact that it was the new moon last night?”

“Why?”

“No particular reason. Malcolm pointed that out to me, and I thought I should mention it.”

“Do you think it was elves?” Sigefrith gasped.

“I have no idea.”

“I hadn’t thought of that at all.”

“Finally something you weren’t trying not to think about!”

'Finally something you weren't trying not to think about!'

“And now I am!”

“Sorry, runt.”

“Why does everything have to happen all at once?”

“I don’t know. It often does, though. But you’ll feel better tomorrow morning, once your babies are here, and incidentally your father.”

“Twins!” Sigefrith moaned. It was the one idea that could distract him from his fear for Hilda’s son.

'Twins!'