Sir Sigefrith tells the plain truth

“I like the beard,” Sigefrith said approvingly as he came into the hall.

“Oh!” the young knight chuckled and stroked his chin. “A bit of a bother to shave on the road.”

“Come here, runt,” Sigefrith said and embraced him. “Probably wise not to have taken a razor with you. Please don’t tell me you’re the only survivor of the massacre.”

“Oh, no, we’re all alive. I’m not come too late, am I? They told me you were with my sis – that is, Her Majesty the Queen,” he smiled.

“If it were that late, they would have told you I was in bed,” Sigefrith laughed, “though I suppose you don’t wish to imagine that.”

He sighed. “I’ve grown so accustomed to brothers wanting to kill other men for what they have done with their sisters that the idea of you and your lawful wife no longer bothers me in the least.”

“So, what were the fruits of this razorless voyage? Did you bring the young scoundrel home with you, or was it too late?”

“He’s here – he went directly home. But first, Sigefrith, please tell me – how is Hilda?”

“Oh! For the love of heaven, I forgot to congratulate you! But didn’t you go home first?”

“I came here and sent Eirik on,” he said with a slow grin. “Tell me!”

“So, Hilda is very well and already visiting about. And your daughter is equally well, although she is a bit more of a homebody.”

“A daughter!” he cried. “I knew it!”

“A very lovely little fair-​​haired girl. Don’t ask me whom she resembles, you know I am dreadful at spotting resemblances. But I am told she has your eyes, and your father’s thereby. And your mouth – so they say!”

“I thought you said she was lovely?”

“I think she will have more success with them than you did, runt. She must be five weeks old or so by now. If you hurry you may catch her first smile.”

“She won’t even know me!”

“She will think you are some satisfactory approximation of your father and adore you,” Sigefrith laughed. “He has been making excuses to get out here at least once a week since she has been here. It seems that the only thing that makes your father sillier than daughters is granddaughters.”

“Good Lord!” he grinned. “I can’t wait to see that.”

“You will have plenty of occasions, and he’s due for a visit any day now. But I should warn you – he has already named her, and not one of the names Hilda or your mother have proposed since has managed to stick.”

“What?”

“His first remark upon seeing her was that she was no bigger than a bumblebee, and he has been calling her Dora ever since. And Alred, who is apparently in league with him, has since reminded him that Dora also means ‘gift’ in Greek, and then he wrote a poem about a bumblebee, and so now your father swears that she will not be deprived of both a doubly meaningful name and a poem in her honor. So I hope you like it!”

“I like it! Dora! Good Lord! I can’t wait to see her.”

“In that case, you had better hurry and set my own mind at ease. What happened? Where’s Brede? His sisters are here with me, you know. How’s his beard?”

“Oh, Brede went home, too. His – ah, his beard is not as nice as mine,” he smiled sheepishly.

“Is he afraid of me, or what? Or only afraid to appear before me without having shaved himself into some semblance of decency, unlike some?”

The young knight sighed. “Sigefrith, you know I am too stupid to talk and say nothing, so don’t be angry at me if I tell you things you won’t like to hear. Brede means to come and explain things better tomorrow.”

“Well, Sigefrith, I suppose I should rather hear the truth from your plainspoken self before getting the subtle Sir Brede’s version of it. I shan’t slay the messenger, unless you have some part in the things I shan’t like to hear.”

“Oh, no! I simply kept everyone from killing everyone else.”

“And that is why I am proud to call you my godson.”

He smiled. “Well, godfather, here it is. We got to Nidaros about ten days before Eirik and Estrid did. So we got to him long before he had a chance to marry the other girl.”

“Good. What did Tryggvason have to say about the affair?”

“Well…” he said, and scratched his beard awkwardly. “He happened to be at home when we arrived, so we explained at once, and he was rather furious. At me, too, as if I had given Eirik the idea!”

Sigefrith laughed.

“But he was quite taken by Brede, and you know, ten days is a long time… and it turned out that Haakon had known Brede’s grandfather, and in fact it was on his grandfather’s ship that he had learned to sail, when he was a boy. He had even known Brede’s mother when she was a small girl.”

“You say this as if it were a bad thing, runt. I should think Brede would have been delighted to learn about his family.”

“Oh, he met his family – some of his cousins, the children of his mother’s brothers and sisters, and so on. She had eloped with his father, you know, but no one seemed to mind any longer.”

“How charming.”

“So,” he went on after taking a deep breath, “by the time Eirik and Estrid arrived, Haakon had already made a pet of Brede, and – it was quite funny, really,” he said with a sudden laugh. “You know Eirik – you can imagine how he would stride into the hall as if he owned it, and then see Brede sitting at Haakon’s right hand like some sort of demon pursuing him over the earth, and an instant later Haakon standing up and roaring as if he had become the instrument of the wrath of God!”

Sigefrith laughed appreciatively. “May the Lord grant me years enough to meet that man!”

“I believe Eirik understood at once what Brede was doing there, but I think Estrid believed he had come for her. Her face was like… something I would have to ask Alred to describe.”

“Alas! Poor girl,” Sigefrith sighed.

“Well…” young Sigefrith said, scratching his beard furiously. “The fact is, I suppose she’s not too much to be pitied.”

“What are you trying to say, young man?” Sigefrith asked suspiciously.

He sighed in exasperation. “I wish Brede had come tonight! The fact is, they’re married. He didn’t want to come tonight because he had to take her home and put her to bed. She’s very ill. I should warn you that if she dies now, Eirik will probably manage to kill Brede, whatever I may have to say about it.”

“He shall have to go through me as well.”

“That’s true. Well, you know, by the time Eirik arrived, Haakon was quite furious at him, and he has always been very fond of Estrid, since she has always been kind and affectionate with him, unlike his own children. And, I don’t know, but I suppose that because he liked Brede and Estrid, and because he was angry at Eirik and knew it would infuriate him, he told Estrid she might marry Brede if she liked.”

“Oh, dear!” Sigefrith sighed. “I suppose there is nothing left for me but to like it.”

“She came with ever so much gold. That will help us.”

“You traveled all this way with gold?”

“We were two knights and a savage Norseman.”

“Three young idiots, rather!”

“We made it with the gold,” he shrugged.

“And how is the young bride?”

“She’s been ill since our first night on land. It took us six days from the coast.”

“Six days! With ‘ever so much gold’! The good Lord must be fond of you four.”

“He sends His regards.”

“Will she die?”

“I don’t know. I think she would have been better by now if we hadn’t traveled, but Brede didn’t trust Eirik at a seaport. I think he regrets it now.”

“Well, I suppose that will prevent me from being too hard on him. It would be rather dreadful to lose her now. Indeed, I myself was rather fond of the girl. I shall pray for her. Fortunately the good Lord is fond of you young idiots. What about Eirik, king of fools?”

“What about him?”

“He’s here – I suppose he intends to marry Sigrid.”

“He doesn’t have much choice if he wants his father’s house and ships. Haakon won’t let him come home without her.”

“He will take her there?”

“That is what he intends.”

“What does he think of her, runt?”

“I don’t know,” he shrugged uncomfortably. “He doesn’t dislike her, but I rather fear he will someday.”

“I hope he will be a gentleman with her, at least.”

“I simply hope he will spend most of his time at sea.”