hither and thither to fetch
them. But after all, in this matter I am master. Whom you wed lies with me."

Goldberga saw that she was in the hands of the king, and maybe as much a
prisoner as at Dover. So her spirits fled, and she asked what the king
willed.

Alsi knew now that nothing but his utmost plan would be of any avail to
save that kingdom for himself, and so he broke out into wrath, working
up his fury that he might not go back.

"My will is that you obey me in this carrying out of the oath I took on
the holy ring, [10] and on the Gospels also to please
your mother. You shall marry the man whom I choose, so that he be
according to the words of that oath."

"So that he be king or son of a king, I will obey you," answered Goldberga.

"Then you defy me. For that I have told you that I will not have. Now
shall we see who is master. You mind yon kitchen knave of last night?
There can be none in all England mightier or more goodly than he is to
look on, and him shall you wed. So will my oath be well kept. Then if
your precious Witan will have him, well and good, for his master shall I
be."

Thereat the princess said that it were better that she should die; but
now Alsi had set out all his plan to her, and he did not mean to flinch
from carrying it out. There was no doubt that the Norfolk people would
hold that she had disgraced herself by the marriage, and so would refuse
to have her as queen. And that was all he needed.

But Goldberga had no more to say, for she was past speaking, and the
king was fain to call her ladies. And when they came he went away
quickly, and gave orders for the safe keeping of the princess, lest she
should try to fly, or to get any message to Ragnar or other of the
Norfolk thanes.

Now he must go through with this marriage, for he had shown himself too
plainly, and never would the princess trust him again. I have heard that
he sent for Griffin at this time; but, as I found, he was gone; and if
the king thought that perhaps the princess would wed him now to escape
from the kitchen knave, he had no chance to bring him forward. I suppose
he could have made out that Griffin, or for that matter any one else he
chose, was such a one as his oath to Ethelwald demanded.

Sore wept Goldberga when she was back in her own place, and at first it
was hard for her to believe that Alsi could mean what he had threatened.
But then she could not forget her dream, and in that she had most
certainly se