On a day while Styrbiorn was a-wrastling with Moldi on Upsala brink, Sigrid the Queen stood and looked on their sport even as she had looked on it when he wrastled with Moldi on Olaf’s howe that morning after Aki’s slaying. When their bout was over and Styrbiorn stood up breathing hard, saw the Queen and gave her greeting, she said, “Thy little ox is grown too big for thee now, for all that men have given thee that by-name of Styrbiorn the Strong. It is only to please thee he letteth thee get the upper hand of him. If he would, he could toss thee off like a ball.”
“Why,” said Styrbiorn, laughing, “I think thou’dst not say so if thou couldst have felt the push of him as I did now.”
“ ’Tis the same,” said Sigrid, “with other folk, and not thy little ox only. They must still be pleasing thee, and serving thy turn. I think it is not good for thee.”
“I know not,” said Styrbiorn, rubbing his face against Moldi’s soft grey hairy muzzle. “What think’st thou on’t, Moldi?”
“So thou weddest Thyri?” said the Queen after some pause.
“So it is,” said he.
“Thou hadst not the King thine uncle to do thy wooing for thee there,” said she.
“He sent my foster-father,” said Styrbiorn.
“The King thine uncle is a good wooer,” said Queen Sigrid. “Yet ere this he hath gotten no for an answer.”
Styrbiorn said, “Never that I heard tell of.”
“There be things yet in the world that thou hast not heard tell of,” said she, “for all thou knowest so much.”
Styrbiorn said, “Little wit in a maid to say no to him.”
“I will tell thee,” said Sigrid. “It was I said no to him. But I will tell thee why I said no. It was because I thought he would woo me not for his own hand, but for another.” So saying she looked swiftly at him; then, turning her eyes away, “I must learn thee somewhat in court terms,” said she. “Thou shouldst now say: ’Tis a good wooer picketh wisely the best for himself.”
Styrbiorn said, “Thou wouldst ever be mocking at me, Sigrid.”
Sigrid reached out her hand to Moldi to lick. He licked hard and eagerly the hand and wrist and up the fair white arm of her, nuzzling back her sleeve with his sweet-breathing nose. She drew back her arm with a little shudder, then put her hand out again to fondle and play with his woolly jowl. “Thou and Thyri,” she said, after a pause, “will be well matched. She hath ugly hair, I am told, but is very meek, and will do all thy bidding and say naught.”
Styrbiorn was silent. But the Queen with her eyes bent still on Moldi, not on Styrbiorn, would still be talking. “I am in a manner thine aunt,” said she. “I will give thee some wise counsel out of mine own wisdom. When thou art wed to Thyri, keep not wish-wives and bondmaids, o’ thine uncle’s fashion. And this I counsel thee for thine own comfort, kinsman Styrbiorn, not thy wife’s. For doth it not seem to thee both just and fair: if one woman be not enough, why then must one man be?” With that she thrust Moldi from her, turned swiftly, and was suddenly gone.
Styrbiorn stood a minute looking after her as she went with swift and sure steps, daintily swaying from the hips, daintily gathering the skirt of her purple broidered gown to clear her ankles. As he so stood watching her, he was ware of Moldi that was nuzzling close to him now, busily licking his hand and arm. Suddenly he withdrew his arm, even as the Queen had hers, with a little shudder.
IX
A Banquet in Upsala
King Eric made ready now a great feast of many days, and summoned a Thing to be holden in the middle term thereof, at which Thing he was minded to make over and give unto Styrbiorn, his brother’s son, with all lawful ceremonies and before the face of the Swedes in lawful Thing assembled, that half share of the kingly power in Sweden which King Olaf had held aforetime. And the feast was in honour as well of this greater matter as of Styrbiorn’s betrothal unto Thyri the daughter of King Harald Gormson. Thyri was come now out of Denmark with a great and honourable company to bring her home to Upsala. The folk when they saw her deemed well of her and praised her beauty. That she loved Styrbiorn was clear as day, and men thought the two of them must have laid their plans for this in Denmark when Styrbiorn was with the King her father last winter.
The third night of their feasting was a banquet holden in the King’s hall, and before that banquet was the troth-plighting of Styrbiorn and Thyri performed with due ceremony, and the banquet was the banquet of their betrothal, but the wedding should be after the Thing, when Styrbiorn should have taken kingdom.
Eric the King was set in his high seat on the upper bench, and the Queen at his right hand. Styrbiorn sat in the high seat on the lower bench over against the King, and Thyri his betrothed sat at his side. There was at that banquet every lord and man of mark that was of greatest account in all the land of the Swedes, both Earls and landed men and the King’s counsellors and friends and the great men of his household, and the wives and kinswomen of these, and Styrbiorn’s men that followed him out of Jomsburg: in all, so great a press of noble persons and those of their following who made shift to find place in every nook and corner of the hall, that never was
