Egelric is not needed

“Did you hear something, Egelric?” Alwy asked suddenly.

The two of them were sitting in Alwy’s kitchen before a bright fire. It was the new moon, and Egelric and Iylaine had come to stay the night.

“I didn’t hear anything besides the girls blethering in there. I don’t think we need to worry, Alwy. Besides, the dogs have better ears than we, and they aren’t barking.”

“That’s so,” Alwy agreed.

Of course there was little danger – they had closed the elf up in a chest reinforced with iron straps and laid him in the crypt beneath the court of the King’s castle. They had looked carefully for any exits besides the trapdoor and found none, and they had sealed the trapdoor tightly with stone and mortar. And with all of the guards around the castle, surely he could neither escape nor be rescued, even if he awoke in his tomb.

Egelric had come this night mainly to reassure Gunnilda. He didn’t think she would have worried that Alwy alone could not protect her, but she might worry about him and Iylaine all through the night if she could not see for herself that they were safe.

And it would be a pleasant way to spend an evening, so why shouldn’t he? Iylaine could talk and play with Wynna until the two fell asleep, and he could sit before the fire and talk with Alwy and Gunnilda as late as he pleased, without worrying about getting home before Iylaine was too tired to walk down the hill.

And Egelric could take Bertie’s bed, for the boy was frequently sleeping at the keep these days. He thought it might be amusing to spend the night with his two-​​year-​​old godson and namesake, for Bertie had warned him that young Egelric liked to wait until he was asleep and then creep into bed with him. He thought the little imp would have a fine surprise this night, if he tried to crawl into Bertie’s bed and found a big, hairy man in his brother’s place!

“Well! That’s done,” Gunnilda sighed as she came into the kitchen.

“Did that boy let you put his pajamas on him this time?” Alwy asked, with a note of worry in his voice. “It’s too cold to sleep naked. You sit here, Gunnie, and I’ll get me another chair,” he said, rising.

“Thank you, Alwy,” she said, sinking wearily into the chair. “I sure did get his pajamas on him, but I declare I would rather have to dress your mean old one-​​eyed hog than that squealing piglet.”

Egelric smiled at her and at the little belly that swelled beneath the swath of red fabric that the Duchess had given her for this new dress.

Alwy pulled another chair to the fire and sat down, throwing an arm over his wife’s shoulders. “I guess he’ll get ‘em off again.”

“I can’t help it if he catches a cold because he’s a bad boy, but I won’t have him catching a cold because I’m a bad Ma what don’t dress her kids for bed.”

“You’re not a bad Ma, Gunnie. I guess you’re a real good Ma,” Alwy said, taking her hand.

Egelric looked back to the fire.

He wasn’t sure why, but he had the feeling that more had changed in this family than their clothing since they had come to the new house.

Perhaps it was Alwy himself. He had learned to hold his head higher now, and he had the self-​​assurance to refuse a request that he suspected was an attempt to trick him. He had not grown wise, but he had at least grown wary.

He had grown in self-​​assurance at home as well. Bertie knew now that his Da had limits, and there were indeed things he could do that would earn him a whipping – even if his Da would hide in the loft and cry about it afterwards.

And the Alwy of the little daub house did not talk to his wife in any other voice than a whine, and he would never have dared to put his arm around her or take her hand in his. And he certainly wouldn’t have dared to pick her up without warning and sit her on his knees, as he just had.

Egelric stared steadily at the fire. He couldn’t quite hear what they were saying to each other, but then perhaps he wasn’t meant to.

He had not been able to get Matilda’s words out of his mind. How had she known? She so rarely saw him and Gunnilda together. Alred more often, certainly, but even then – how did he know? What had he done?

Malcolm had claimed to know from the way Gunnilda looked at him, and the way he didn’t look at her. But he had the impression that Gunnilda hadn’t looked at him in that way since he had gone to Scotland to fetch Colban and Malcolm home for the Queen’s baby’s christening – since the night she had come to say goodbye, and he had sent her away with cruel words.

He hadn’t been able to get those words out of his mind either. He had told her to go back to her husband. It seemed she had.

Egelric rose and poked at the fire.

She had done what he asked. Moreover, despite the cruelty of his words, she seemed to have forgiven him. He had no reason to be unhappy.

And he had no reason to be here.

“I believe I shall go to bed,” he said quietly. “I’m more tired than I knew.”

“Oh, Egelric, already?” Gunnilda said. “I thought we could have a nice, cozy chat, since you don’t have to go home.”

“You two can have a nice, cozy bill-​​and-​​coo without me, I think. Two is enough for that.”

“Oh, Egelric – ”

“Goodnight, my doves.”

“Goodnight, Egelric,” Alwy said.

“Goodnight,” Gunnilda said softly, and then she turned back to Alwy and the fire.